Edward That Bastard
by SilverWolfsFullMoonShadow
Summary: Nothing against ed, just goes wthe story plot. Ed's 2 kids are left with their mother. Wondering about ed and where he is, the oldest travels to find ed and also to find answers as to why he left them and their mom. 18 yrs after movie plz R
1. Edward Who?

A/N: okay i have a fullmetal story ready to post. it's called "Edward that Bastard" so i rated it T cause a) the title and b) language and so on. if ur still confused about the title.. there's a meaning to it don't worry. should be self explanitory at the end of this chapter. if u still have questions though, feel free to PM me and i'll give an answer to u right away. hope u like the story. also, the chapter's gonna be kinda longish.. so if u don't like long chapters... then i suggest u either a) skim; haha i won't mind or b) if u really absolutely hate long chapters exit out right now. i'd rather have readers who couldn't care less about the chapters longness and still like the story anyways; and i don't mean that in a snobby judging way so no offense, if offense is taken! anyways, please R&R

**Summary:** Ed's 2 children are left with their mother. Wondering about their father and his whereabouts, they travel to go find ed; and also to find answers as to why he left them and their mom. (takes place about 18 years **after** ed and al are on the other side of The Gate.)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. It's a great show though.

**Chapter 1: Edward Who?**

It was a bright morning in Risenbool, a nice open fielded town that lived peacefully and quietly. The birds sang, spring was here at last. The buds began to bloom, and a loud barking yawn had come from a home a little out west.

"Sam, mind your manners." a woman of about the age of 36 said with a smile, her long blonde hair in a bun with her light blue eyes shining in the sun. Ever since her first dog, Den had died, the woman decided to get another dog for company for her two children. She opened the door to her first daughters room, a girl about 16 with light golden colored hair. She peeked in to see her daughter lazily sleeping.

Her daughter had long golden colored hair, with her bangs getting in the way of her right eye. She slept with her mouth wide open, a little bit of saliva running down the side of her cheek. Her mother laughed; her daughter sure had her father's napping qualities. Sam trudged over, and licked the girl on the face.

"Err...Hngh..." the girl muttered as she turned, wiping the saliva away. She didn't want to get up.

"Lizzie, it's time to get up sweetie." the woman called.

"Mo-omm. I don't wanna." Lizzie complained.

"Elizabeth, come on. Please? At least go up and wake your sister." Lizzie's mother replied as she closed the door, walking downstairs to the kitchen.

"Winry, what's for breakfast?" a voice asked softly downstairs. Lizzie complained silently to herself, and then looked out the window; her golden colored eyes staring off into the distance. _'It's time... I'm going to find that Bastard..'_ Lizzie thought, her eyes narrowed as she finally got up with a yawn. Sam jumped up and down happily, letting Lizzie be wide awake to wake up her younger sister by three years.

"Hey! Lys! Up an'attim!" Lizzie called to her sister. Her sister got up abruptly, a smile on her face. She had layered caramel colored hair that went to her shoulders and light blue colored eyes.

"Kay, I'm up! Sis let's get some breakfast I'm starving!" Lys replied happily as she bounded down the stairs. Lizzie still wondered how her sister could be so perky in the morning. As she trudged downstairs, she turned to a picture. _'Good morning, granny.'_ Lizzie thought to herself as she placed a hand on the picture's frame. It was of herself and Lys as babies, and their great grandmother Pinako. She smiled. Pinako, their great grandmother was able to stay alive the day they were born, and for a little more longer than that. Lizzie then turned to another picture next to the first.

This picture showed herself clinging onto her Pinako's skirt playfully while Lys was in their moms's arms. She was at least 6 in that picture, with Lys being 3. It was the last picture the four of them took together... The next morning, great grandmother Pinako died in her sleep... With their mother crying the next morning. Lizzie wiped away a small fallen tear from her face. She just hated seeing her mom cry, being so strong, waiting for that man to come home soon..

"Lizzie! Your breakfast is going to get cold if you don't come down and eat! Or... Alyssa's going to eat it!" her mother called.

"Comin!" Lizzie called as she quickly rushed down the steps. When she entered the small kitchen, she saw her sister, mom, and Auntie Rose. Ray, Auntie Rose's son, had gone to sign up for the military. He was three years older than she was, and Lizzie missed him a lot, considering he was like an older brother for her and Lys.

"Liz! Check this out! I've been waiting for this for months!" Lys exclaimed as she passed a telegram to her sister. Lizzie opened it and read the short telegram.

_'Dear Elizabeth and Alyssa Elric,'_ Lizzie muttered grumbly under her breath as she took a bite out of her toast. Why did they have to take _his_ last name?

_'We have been informed that your alchemy skills are extremely filled with talent. We have sent you this telegram stating that you should try the alchemy exams to become a State Alchemist. It would be a great honor having the daughters of Edward Elric to join us in our quest. The military would have special uses for your talents, and you would have so much more knowledge to gain on alchemy. Please do not ignore this offer, it only comes once in a millenium after all... With all jokes aside, the Alchemy Exams shall begin next week, so we hope you will be able to attend._

_Sincerely,_

_Fuhrer Roy Mustang'_

Lizzie stared in disgust at that letter. Edward Elric? Who? She didn't even want to hear his name anymore. All her life she was told so many amazing stories from the military about her father. About how brave he was, how selfless he was, what an amazing alchemist he was. It disgusted her, when she didn't even know the guy. Why would she care about her dad if he had never been there? Never been there when she was born, when her sister was born, when she spoke her first word, had her first laughs and cries together... nothing. He wasn't there for anything, not even now.

What hurt Lizzie even more, was how her mother always tried to put on a smile for her, for Lys... Even for Auntie Rose. Her mother always told stories about her father and uncle, always ending up somehow with her mother wiping away small tear droplets from her eyes. _'Why did he leave us? Why hasn't he come home.'_ Lizzie wondered. She simply tossed the telegram back to her sister who looked a little down.

"What's wrong Liz? Don'tcha think it'd be awesome? I mean, State Alchemists!" Lys exclaimed.

"You can try it out Lys, I'm going somewhere else." Lizzie said proudly.

"Where?" Auntie Rose asked, concern written on her face.

"I'm going to go find Him. And bring Him home." Lizzie replied sternly. Winry turned to face her daughter now, a worried look on her face.

"Dear, you know that it's pointless to go searching after your wreckless father. You don't even know his whereabouts." Winry said sternly. Winry had always fought with Lizzie when it had come down to the subject: DAD. Winry had never told her children the real whereabouts of Ed, or Al. Just a story, of where they might be and what they could be doing. Truth was, Ed didn't even know Winry had brought two children into his life; not even knowing he was their father.

"I don't care. I wanna find Him." Lizzie said in defense.

"Please, don't." Winry replied softly. Winry was really in no mood to start a fight, especially when it was the morning... Winry had always kept Edward's state alchemist pocket watch. This morning, she held it close to her heart, wore it like a necklace. The date today was as it had said in his watch. "Don't Forget. 3. Oct. 11". It was the day that Ed and Al had first begun their journey, and where they had been locked on to a road filled with danger, drama, adventure... and suspenseful happenings that she had faced with them as well. She just wished that Lizzie would understand that it wasn't right to hold grudges, and that she felt her daughter's pain... But nothing could be done, for where Ed and Al were, there was no hope in having them come home any time soon. The kitchen fell silent, and Lys decided to try and bring up the alchemy exams again.

"C'mon Liz, the Alchemy Exams are really great! Don't you wanna be a cool State Alchemist like dad?" Lys asked. Lizzie looked off to the side for a moment. She didn't even know what her father looked like... Her mother had always said, _"Elizabeth, you have almost a spitting image of your father. If only he could see how beautiful you are."_ Lizzie didn't like it, didn't like the fact that she looked like Him. She didn't even know Him. Lizzie was about to say no, when she remembered something her mother had said._ "When your father was in the military, he was under the jurisdiction of a man by the name of Colonel Roy Mustang. He was known as the Flame Alchemist back in his day, I wonder what's become of him now..." _That name... the telegram! _'Sincerely, Fuhrer Roy Mustang'_.

Lizzie whirled over to Lys, a sly smile on her face. Winry noticed her daughter's grin, realizing that Lizzie had just hatched some plan in her head. Ed had always put on a smile like that before going off on a wild goose chase.

"Yeah. You're right Lys, I'll try the alchemy exam with you!" Lizzie said with a grin, and Lys smiled happily as she gave a tackle hug to her sister.

"Oh boy! I can't wait! We should leave tommorow! The alchemy exam is going to start next week and we need to register before they're finished with the entries for the new alchemists!" Lys said with a laugh as she went back to her food, practically gobbling it down while Lizzie simply ate quietly, her mind on something else. Yes, it was the perfect plan. At Central, she would become a State Alchemist, but also find out more about her father. Wait, was she really going to be a State Alchemist?

Throughout the day, Lys and Lizzie helped their mother outside while Rose did some house work inside. Occasionally, the four would take a break and go out to eat. The time was now about 3:30... As the four entered the small town nearby with a small cafe, it was there that they met up with Alex Louis Armstrong, Lys and Lizzie's 'uncle'.

"Hello there you two! It is so good to see you both!" Uncle Armstrong said to them, hugging them; practically crushing their bones.

"Uncle..you're...killing...us..." the two girls managed to say as he let go; having them drop to the ground with a Thud. Armstrong apologized, and decided to have lunch with the group.

Fullmetal-----Alchemist

"So Colonel. How have things been going at Central?" Winry asked politely as she sipped her coffee.

"Things have been going quite all right. In Central, Mustang has been able to unify all of the militaries together, stopping crime wherever it may be!" Armstrong said happily, his sparkles all around him. All four girls laughed heartily, and then grew silent when Armstrong turned to Lys and Lizzie. "Ah, you two have grown mavelously. It's been so long since I've seen the two of you. Why, three years ago both of you were to my knees, and now you're right by my stomach! It's amazing how you've both had a growth spurt!" Armstrong joked happily, making the two girls blush.

"Alyssa, have I ever told you you have the spitting image of your mother? And the color hair of your uncle, Alphonse? What a bright fellow Alphonse was, as you are now." Armstrong complimented. Lys blushed.

"Aw, thanks Uncle Armstrong." Lys said with a blush. When Armstrong looked at Lizzie, she knew what was coming next. She gulped. Armstrong had always told her the same thing somehow, someway, and sometimes she wished she could just disappear for a moment so he wouldn't see her and compliment her on how she resembled someone too close to the family.

"Ah, Elizabeth. You have the strong resemblance of your father. The greatest alchemist I have ever known in my life. You should be very proud to have the famous Fullmetal Alchemist as your father. If only he could see you now." Armstrong said with a smile. Lizzie smiled weakly.

"Thanks." she said, avoiding eye contact. She hoped that Uncle Armstrong wouldn't pursue the family resemblances anymore. It was ashame though, he decided to continue to talk about their father.

"You know, have I ever told you about Edward?" Armstrong asked.

"Plenty of times." Lizzie countered.

"Ooh! Tell us more Uncle! Please?" Lys exclaimed. Lizzie shot a glance at her sister, wishing she hadn'tve said anything. Uncle Armstrong laughed, and decided to tell an old story about Edward and his adventure. As he began, he stopped, wondering if he had already told them about one of Edward's adventures.

"Before I continue, what have I already told you? I doubt you would want to hear a story you've already heard." Armstrong asked.

"Lessee... you've told us about dad and his match with Mustang, umm... how dad was an awesome alchemist when he passed the exam... Oh! What about-"

"Uncle, do you think you could tell us who dad exactly was?" Lizzie asked abruptly, interrupting her sister. Armstrong, and almost everyone stared at her with confused looks.

"I think I've already told you about your father, Lizzie. Of how a great alchemist he was, how he was a selfless brother, how-"

"No Uncle, that's not what I mean!" Lizzie exclaimed, her fist slammed the table fiercely, her golden eyes showed off that glimmer like Edward's had so long ago. Armstrong felt the boy's presence even now when he looked into her eyes. "What I mean, is who is he really?! I don't care about _what_ he was! I care about **who** he is! I hardly know the guy, how can I be _proud_ to be his daughter?! How can I be _proud_ to look like him?! How can I be_ proud_ to be the daughter of him when he never showed his face to us ever! Not **once**! If he really is out there, then why hasn't he shown his face?!" Lizzie asked, her anger rising. Armstrong rose for a moment, and walked over to Lizzie, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Now now, Elizabeth. You shouldn't speak badly of your father. He is out there, somewhere. Maybe he hasn't shown his face here in a while because he is busy with-"

"With what?! With alchemy?! Is alchemy so much more important than us?! Is alchemy more important than mom?! Does he really know he has kids?! If he's out there then why doesn't anybody find him and tell him?!" Lizzie roared, moving away from Armstrong's grasp.

"Elizabeth!" Winry cried, immediately turning to her daughter, rising from her seat. Lizzie looked at Winry, those golden eyes burning with furious anger. "Your father, wherever he is, would know that we are more important than alchemy. Wherever he is, if he knew... then I know for a **fact** that Edward would come home! He promised to me all those years ago, that he would come back. I still wait for that day, and though it may be hard, he will come. Soon. Please, don't cause a scene Elizabeth." Winry practically begged, and for a moment a tear fell from her face. Lizzie looked horrorstrucken. She just made her mother cry... and it was her fault.

"... Fine. Whatever, I'm outta here." Lizzie said and turned, walking away from the rest of the group to home. The table grew silent, and Lys immediately rushed after her sister. Armstrong and Rose walked over to Winry who was cupping her hands over her face. Armstrong put a strong hand on her shoulder, while Rose gave Winry a hug.

"Winry, you still haven't told them the Truth yet, have you? Nor or the boys past... am I correct?" Armstrong asked softly. Winry shook her head yes in agreement.

"How can I? It's so hard to even talk about their father without causing a scene anymore. Elizabeth is just like her father... I just wish I could tell her the Truth as to where Edward is.. and as to who Edward truly was, holding all of his sins within this watch.." Winry replied, taking the watch out as it glimmered; already beginning to rust slightly. She opened it, and sobbed again, the date was still there. It was like it was etched in stone. "Don't forget. 3. Oct. 11." She clutched the watch, and held it closely to her chest. "Edward.. oh Edward, please.. come home." she sobbed.

"It's all right Winry. I'm sure Ed and Al are on the Other Side right now, trying to find a way to come home. It just will take time." Rose said as she continued to hug her friend dearly. Winry only muffled some words before trying to calm herself down. Today was the wrong day to talk about Edward...

H-I-L-L

"Sis! Hey! Wait up! Elizabeth please!" Lys called as she rushed up the hill to where Elizabeth was. When she reached her sister, Lizzie turned with an angry look on her face.

"What?! Lys, I'm not in the mood now. Why don't you just go back and hear the stories Uncle will tell you about him." Lizzie spat.

"Liz... Why do you hate dad so much?! You used to like the stories about him! You used to laugh with me at the times he had!" Lys asked, wondering why her sister acted this way.

"That was when I was younger and less experienced! Don't you realize it yet, Lys?! It's been 16 years since we've never heard or seen dad! You really think he wouldn't know about us if word spread all the way to Central the day you and I were born?! He's gone, out of our lives! He left us! HE LEFT MOM! Don't you get it?! He's not our dad, he's just a man who ran away from the life he would have had! I hate it when people relate me to him! I HATE IT! I don't even know the guy so why should I be so proud?! WHO REALLY IS EDWARD ELRIC?! That's what I want to know!" Lizzie cried. Lys looked at her sister so strangely, it almost made Lizzie's stomach churn.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, Lizzie. But what can we do?! Wait..that's all I know." Lys said.

"You're thinking too small Lys, I'm going out to find dad. Mom told us a lot of stories about him, where he went.. I'm going to go and find him and bring him home." Lizzie explained. _'Not before I punch the lights outta him though.'_ she thought inside her head. Lys took firm grasp of Lizzi's arm, a worried look on her face.

"You're just.. leaving? Like that? What about the alchemy exams?! You said you were gonna do it with me! You have to!" Lys pleaded.

"Alyssa, you know that you're just making up excuses." Lizzie said sternly, placing her hand over Lys's. She then gave a smirk. "Don't worry about me, Lys. You become a State Alchemist, it's been your dream since we were kids." Lizzie said, starting to get teary as she saw her younger sister start to cry.

"B-b-b-but... Lizzie I don't want you to go... I mean, how can I accomplish becoming a State Alchemist without you?.. We've always done everything together... and now, we're just going to be apart? Just like that? It's not fair.. You're not being fair!" Lys cried angrily. Lizzie embraced her younger sister with a hug.

"Lys... I'm sorry, but I promised myself that one day when I was older, I'd go and find him and bring him home no matter what. That's what I promised... when Granny died... Maybe that time was when I realized these things about him, but you never know until you take that risk. Lys, you take the risk of becoming a State Alchemist. Who knows... maybe when you get to be a State Alchemist, we'll meet up on a crazy damned mission of yours. So... until then, okay? Go back to everyone else, okay?" Lizzie explained, and gave a smile to her sister.

"O..Okay... But you gotta promise me that we will see eachother, and you won't forget about me and mom." Lys said.

"Of course! I would never forget you! Now hurry back before they come for both of us. I'm going to pack and leave tonight." Lizzie explained and Lys nodded. As she ran back to the family, Lizzie rushed to the house to pack her things. As Lizzie entered the small house, she saw Sam give her a worried look when she took out a bag and filled it with some alchemy books, food, and money. She wished she had a picture of dad, she would need his picture to ask people if they had seen him. It was ashame, she would just have to use her own features. After all, she was the _spitting image_ of her father...

"Sam, I'm going to be leaving tonight, so when you hear me come down the steps you don't make a sound, mmkay?" Lizzie explained. Sam barked happily, wagging his tail. Lizzie smiled warmly. "Good boy." she said and gave Sam a dog treat. Lizzie stood up now, and went to her room, wondering what clothes to bring with her. Her closet was a real big mess, half of her clothes looked decent. She decided to pack a few things like jeans, T-shirts, a tank top, shorts, and a pair of her cool black pants. For shoes she brought sneakers and black boots her mom gave her for birthday last year.

"Okay. I'm all set." Lizzie said to herself out loud, looking out the window. The sun was slowly setting, it had already become 4. Funny what a lot of chores, and old reunions could do to pass the time. She looked out her other window now, seeing the rest of the family coming back inside. It seemed Uncle Armstrong had left to go back to Central. Yeah, that would be her first stop. "Oh yeah! Map!" Lizzie exclaimed to herself and went digging into her bureau. Taking out a map, she wrote down on the back of it the stops to be made.

"Stop 1. Central..." she jotted down. _'I can ask that Mustang guy, and any other personel there who knew dad..'_ she thought. "Stop 2. Lior..." she wrote. _'That was where dad met Auntie Rose. Maybe other people knew him too.' _Lizzie thought logically. "Stop 3.." Lizzie thought for a moment. What were key places that Ed went to?.. "Stop 3. Xenotime." Lizzie jotted down. She remembered two specific alchemists who posed as her dad and her uncle.. maybe they knew where he was.

"Lizzie? Are you up there?!" Lizzie heard her mother shout.

"I'll be right down!" Lizzie called back. "Stop 4. Rush Valley." _'Mom said she had made friends there, and they knew dad...'_ Lizzie thought. She only had about two more stops left? "Stop 5. Dublith." _'If there's any traces of.. maybe the people dad knew there... Gee, I hope there is.. Weren't the people mom mentioned older back then? I wonder how old they are now..'_ She thought. What was the last stop, if any? Hm... Oh well, if given hints then she would jut go with them. Besides, nothing else came to the girls mind. She slipped the map into her bag, and shoved it under her bed.

"Lizzie! What in the world _are_ you doing up there?! I've already set dinner and you're _still _up there! Hurry up you lazy butt!" Winry teased.

"C-comin!" Lizzie countered with a laugh as she slammed her door shut and rushed downstairs. Because of the door's vibration, something fell off Lizzie's bureau with a thud. When Lizzie got downstairs, she saw her family sit around the table, Winry getting dinner ready.

D-I-N-I-N-G--R-O-O-M

"There you are Liz, what were doing upstairs?" Rose asked softly, a smile on her face. It seemed she and Winry decided it would be best to drop the subject that fiercely came up that afternoon.

"Um, just doing; stuff." Lizzie answered bluntly.

"What kind of stuff sis?" Lys asked and Lizzie gave her a glance. Lys forgot and sweatdropped slightly.

"You know, cleaning up my room..." Lizzie replied.

"_You_? Clean up your **room**? Elizabeth, are you not feeling well?" Winry called from the kitchen, making Lizzie blush.

"Y-Yeah!" Lizzie replied and then started to smile when she saw Winry come out with the meal.

"Here you go you two. Your favorite meal, stew." Winry said as she laughed, watching her kids fight over who got the spoon first to serve. It was like Ed and Al were right in front of her, reincarnated within her daughters. Still, she knew in her heart that Ed and Al were still alive on the other side, trying to find a way home. As the meal continued, it seemed like a dead conversation now and then, having someone try and bring up a subject to talk about. Soon after, Rose and Lys went outside to play with Sam while Winry and Lizzie did the dishes. It was about 6:45 now..

Fullmetal-----Alchemist

All you could hear in the house was clattering, washing dishes, water running, and occasionally things falling with a crash! Normally, Winry and Lizzie chatted like they weren't mother and daughter, but best friends. Now, it seemed distant than usual...

"Lizzie, tell me something.." Winry said.

"Yeah, mom?" Lizzie aked with a gulp as she put some of the cups away.

"Are you planning on leaving to go search for your father? If not tonight, tommorow?" Winry asked. Lizzie stared in awe, looking into the cabinent, not wanting to face her mother. A slow, nervous, trembling smile crossed her face.

"Wh-why would you ask that?" Lizzie asked.

"I could hear you, mumbling to yourself of places to go to find your father..." Winry replied softly. Lizzie felt her voice become silent, her throat dry. All along? Her mom knew she'd be leaving, and didn't do anything to stop her.. no protest, nothing. The water ran, the only thing stopping the silence.

"You're not... planning on stopping me, are you?" Lizzie asked. Winry chuckled slightly, having her daughter face her in confusion.

"Of course not. I know you. You're stubborness is just like your-..._his_. There's no stopping you. I just want you to be safe, have a good travel, and when you find him..." Winry started. She walked over to Lizzie, and took her daughter's hand, while hers placed Edward's State Pocket Watch in Lizzie's palm. Lizzie watched silently in amazement as she clutched onto the watch that belonged to her father.. "Please, both of you come home safe. That's not to say you should ignore your uncle. If you can, please, all three of you come back safe and sound. I'll be waiting, and so will Aunt Rose." Winry said with a smile. Lizzie felt something stir, and she tried to be strong. All these years, she had tried to be strong too, just like her mom. She wanted to, she thought it would be easy leaving, but she guessed; leaving her mother was the hardest thing to ever do in her life.

Lizzie's shoulders started to shake as she grasped onto the watch so tightly, her fist clenching as it shook. Tears began to stain the floor. Winry understood, and embraced her daughter in a hug that Lizzie returned with all the strength she had a daughter could show her mother. When Lizzie had finally stopped crying, she wiped her tears away, that determined look shining on her face.

"I'll bring them back soon Mom. And I'm not coming back until I find them." Lizzie said brightly as she rushed up the stairs, silently closing her door. Winry took in a deep breath, wiping a tear away from her eyes. She was right, Lizzie was just like Edward when he was a kid. She just wished it wouldn't lead her daughter into danger like it had done to Edward.

"I think, it's time." Winry said to herself as she walked over to the closet, opening the door to show a red coat with a symbol on the back of it. It was a cross, with a winged serpent on it. Winry smiled, finally realizing it was time to let go, and have Lizzie soar.

L-I-Z-Z-I-E-S--R-O-O-M

As Lizzie entered her room, she gasped as she found a picture on the floor, some pieces of glass surrounding it. Uh-oh... It was the picture that had herself, mom, and Lys. "Oh damn it.." Lizzie muttered to herself as she picked the picture up, seeing the glass had been on the floor and some pieces still inside. She took out the picture, and was suprised to see another taped to the back of the first. "What the?" Lizzie took the picture out, and saw how old it was... already turning a copper color. The picture seemed to be fuzzy, but she could make out the people. It showed two boys, a girl, and a puppy. The first boy to the left had light brown colored hair and gray eyes, a smile on his face as he seemed to have his arm locked in the other boys.

Lizzie looked at the other boy, her eyes becoming wide with shock. She recognized this boy, because he looked almost like her... "Dad..." she could only say in a mere whisper. He had golden hair, and burning golden eyes that smiled with such determination. One strand stuck out, and he had shorter hair back then. Still, he was hugging a girl with his other arm while the first was locked with the other boys. Her eyes widened slightly, realizing the girl in the picture was her mother! Pretty... Lizzie slipped the picture in her bag, and got dressed. She wore a black tank top, black pants and her boots her mom gave her. Finally, Lizzie slept on her bed, setting her watch for 11:55... Soon, very soon, she would be going after Ed, going after that bastard who left her, her sister, and mom... Questions would be asked, and she wanted answers...

11-----:-----55

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP! went Lizzie's alarm on her wrist. Lizzie opened her eyes wide for a moment, and then grabbed her things. She put on her boots, and crept downstairs to where her exit would be. As Lizzie tiptoed down the steps, she saw Sam, his tail wagging sadly. She gave Sam a pat on the head, and opened the door to see her mother standing before her.

"Mom?" Lizzie asked, surprised. Winry walked over to Lizzie, taking out the red coat. She wrapped it around Lizzie, and motioned her daughter to put it on. Lizzie did so, and looked at it with a smile.

"I thought you should have this. I was saving it for your 17th birthday but, now is a better time." Winry said with a sad smile.

"Mom? This belonged to dad... didn't it." Lizzie said, and Winry nodded. Winry gave Lizzie a tight hug, and Lizzie returned it with a hug of her own.

"Be safe, and once you get to Central you have to remember some key people." Winry said. Lizzie nodded, ready for her to go on. "The key people you want to talk to are those by the names of Sciezka, Breda, Fuery, Havoc, Hawkeye, Falman, and most especially; Mustang." Winry explained, and Lizzie smiled brightly.

"Got it. Thanks mom. I'll see you soon. And when I get to Central I'll give you a call or whatever. No worries, bye." Lizzie said and rushed off, not looking back. The watch pounded against her chest as she ran, tears started to fly behind her. It was too hard for her to look back, to see her mother waving to her, tears in her eyes as well. Lizzie grinned big then when she looked ahead. Today she would start her own adventure.

A/N: haha. aren't u glad it's over? lol. i hope u enjoyed the chapter, this is my first story so plz be nice... flames are... okay just don't go overboard with them just give me one that can help my writing and story skills and such. anyways, i can promise u the next chapter is going to be like... subtract 17 from 12 so yea. 5 pages WOW. anyways, yea. please leave a review, and i hope my first fanfic story is good! arigatou! -Silver-


	2. Stop 1: Central

A/N: wow. i mean, just... wow. I really didn't think u guys would like this story! i mean, i had doubts but like, wow! thank you! i hope i won't disappoint u either. anyways, here is chapter 2 and yes it is shorter than chapter 1, and i have dividers! i hope they will work so yea... lol. basically, it will be saying where the ppl are and who is where kinda, u'll see heheh. anyways, so yea. please R&R. o i almost forgot! i um, might not be good with the ages of everyone, i kind of guessed since i can't find how old the characters were... so..yea... heheh.. anyways, also, i made a mistake in chapter 1. since mustang was upped to fuhrer, i moved everyone up by 5 ranks since it took 5 for mustang to get to fuhrer. so armstrong should really be a Lieutenant General. -Sil

**Chapter 2: Stop 1. Central**

Lizzie had gotten to a great head start at 12:00 midnight when she had first left home. Now... she ran and ran, the pocketwatch around her neck; she could feel it ticking. Her mom must have been able to mess with the inside of it, and make it work again. Her new red coat gave off a curious glimmer as the moonlight began to shine down on her.

"Don't stop now Liz!" she shouted to herself quietly, suitcase in hand. She didn't know how long she had run, stopping only once in a while to breathe for a few moments, and then run off again. Lizzie checked her watch. It read 4:00 a.m. She sighed heavily, sweat falling from her face as she fell to the ground, panting for breath. "Okay... break time! ...I should get to Central early in the morning..." Lizzie said to herself, looking to see a tree. She walked over to it, and decided to rest there for now. As she sat down, she blew some bangs out of her face.

"Okay... only for a few minutes.." Lizzie mumbled to herself, closing her eyes as she rested. Her mother's voice was repeated in her head. _'The key people you want to talk to are those with the names of Sciezka, Breda, Fuery, Havoc, Hawkeye, Falman, and most especially; Mustang.'_ Her voice echoed in Lizzi'e mind. Right, she had to remember those names. Not realizing it, she dozed off and had a dream... The same dream she had been having since she turned 15...

D---R---E---A---M---I---N---G

_Lizzie saw herself, but she wasn't herself. She was standing in front of a boy who seemed to be 3 years younger than her. He had nice light brown hair and gray eyes... She gasped. Was this Uncle Alphonse? Then... who was she if she wasn't herself? She looked into the mirror, not able to talk in her dream and saw the reflection of her father. Her father, he looked just like her! Could that even be possible?! Yes... Those golden eyes, the only thing different was her hair color and set of bangs... Still, dad..._

Lizzie found herself breathing heavily, eyes wide open. "Dad..." she breathed, and then looked up to the sky.. It seemed to be a little more sky blue color than dark.. She turned, seeing the moon was beginning to fade. Lizzie looked at her watch; it read 5:10. "Crud..." she muttered to herself as she rose from her spot, still panting from the running she had done. Her legs seemed pretty tired too, but still she kept pressing on. "I... can't say I'm...**_not_** tired... Damn." Lizzie cursed to herself as she continued her pace. She stopped for a moment, and decided to walk a while. Soon, she came upon two destroyed car tiers and a pole. Lizzie stared at the objects for a moment, and then a grin appeared on her face.

"Right. Time for alchemy." Lizzie said to herself brightly as she clapped her hands. It had been a while since she had used alchemy. Lizzie wondered if it still worked for her. She took a deep breath, and placed her hands on the objects. _'C'mon... Show me alchemy!'_ Lizzie thought. She couldn't remember the last time she had to use alchemy with a transmutation circle... Actually, never in her life did she have to use a transmutation circle; unlike her sister and the rest of them. Maybe she was just born with a gift. She sighed, realizing nothing was working, until the objects showed off a glow; being replaced with... Lizzie smiled, her alchemy worked. Now she'd be in Central no time!

R---I---S---E---N---B---O---O---L

As the morning arose for Lys, she got up groggily and walked downstairs in silence. The house seemed empty for some reason... Lys seemed down when she passed a picture of herself and her sister. She yawned loudly as she entered the kitchen, declaring that she was awake.

"Good morning Lys." Winry called.

"Mornin.." Lys replied softly as she sat down at the table, resting her head on the table with a sad frowm on her face.

"You seem awfully low on energy today sweetie. What's wrong?" Winry asked, sitting down next to her daughter.

"It's only morning... and I miss her already. I wonder where she is now..." Lys replied with a sigh.

"Don't worry Lys, I'm sure your sister is fine. You need to be energized! Today you head to Central." Winry replied with a warm smile. Lys turned to her mother, a worried look on her face.

"Mom?... Y-you'll be okay without me here right?" Lys asked nervously. Winry blinked at her daughter with a blank look on her face for a moment, but quickly smiled.

"Of course. Moms always need to know when to let their kids go. I'll be fine, don't worry. I'll have Auntie Rose with me, and I wish you good luck at the alchemy exams; and also becoming a State Alchemist." Winry replied lovingly as she gave Lys a hug. Lys blushed for a moment, and after finishing her breakfast she set off.

"Okay mom, I'll be back soon! Or... I'll call to give you the good news!" Lys called with a wave as she headed to the train station. She looked back once, seeing Winry wave and blow a kiss. Lys responded with another wave, and hurried off to the station. Once she got there, she boarded the train to Central. On the train, she wondered where exactly Lizzie was, and what she was doing.. Falling asleep, she rested her head against the window, waiting for the arrival at Central...

C-----E-----N-----T-----R-----A-----L

"Ooooooooh yeah!" Lizzie shouted as she drove down the street on her new transmuted two wheeler motocycle (okay i don't know how to explain it... just think of a scooter, but the wheels are both in front side to side). Passing by people down the street, she had to clearly shout to be heard and to also have people be warned; for already she nearly ran over 10 people who came into contact with her! Still, at least she _was_ in Central. Now if she could only find HQ quickly, for her time was running short. It was 6:00 now, and she only had a few hours at the least. _'Lys will probably get here at 9 since the train is running... better hurry.'_ Lizzie thought to herself as she sped down the street. As Lizzie found herself running lower and lower on gas, she needed to find something to give some more kick into her vehicle. She slowed down to a hault, and then stopped by at a nearby store. She walked inside, not realizing people staring at her, wide eyed.

"Excuse me, sir." Lizzie said, having to look up at the man who was by the cash register of the store she had walked into. The man in front of her seemed to be very elderly looking, maybe in his late 60s.. He had big glasses on, and he looked like he was lost in his own thoughts; as if looking at her brought back a memory for him.

"Uh.."

"You know where I could get some fuel? Like, maybe some material I could transmute perhaps?" Lizzie asked, ignoring the fact that he stared at her. Clearly she didn't think anything of it. The man just silently trudged off somewhere, finding something Lizzie could transmute for fuel. As Lizzie waited, she looked around, noticing a few people stare at her strangely.

She turned to a little boy. She smiled a little bit, but was puzzled when he simply pointed at her while muttering something under his breath. She couldn't understand the boy at that distance, but quickly saw his mother pull him away as she scolded the poor kid. _'What?... Am I a disease or something? It's like people here think of me as a bandit... If that's so, then I didn't do it.' _Lizzie thought to herself drying, starting to whistle a tune. Her mother used to hum it a lot to her when she was little, it sounded pretty. Her mom had said that the song she had sang to Lizzie when she was younger, was actually sung in russian by a chorus group. It was very pretty, and whenever Lizzie heard it she would cry.

"Um..." The man's voice startled her, making him jump and herself. She looked at him for a moment, and saw that in his hand he had a bos of...coal? Hm, strange, she didn't think transmuting coal into fuel could work... She normally thought that transmuting coal into gold would be something but, that was against the laws and also the military.

"Oh, thanks. How much?" Lizzie asked.

"Oh.. you can have it. I don't need it, it was clottering up the closet. Say, are you an alchemist?" the man asked.

"Yup, I most certainly am." Lizzie replied with a smile, clapping her hands and placing them on the box. In seconds, in front of them was a container filled with gasoline. Hey, whaddaya know, it worked. The man looked at her, amazed.

"I haven't seen someone transmute like that in years. The name's Alfred miss." he said, feeling like she was privaleged enough to know his name.

"Nice to meet you Alfred, I'm Elizabeth." Lizzie responded with a smile. He nodded quietly, and then watched her go outside. Interested, he followed. Once he met her outside, she saw him look at her vehicle.

"Did you transmute that with yer hands too?" Alfred asked her, pointing. She nodded, sheepishly. Alfred smiled, and then noticed the chain wrapped around her neck, followed by the State Pocket watch.

"You a State Alchemist?" he asked her, pointing to her watch. She looked down, and gripped onto the watch tightly for a moment. She laughed a little.

"No, afraid not. This was my dad's, my mom gave it to me." Lizzie explained. Alfred laughed to himself, and nervously scratched the back of his head.

"You remind me of a young lad back in the day when I was younger. He wuz a State Alchemist when he wuz just 'bout yer age. Yep, he sure was a little shrimp. Then again, you aren't that much taller anyways! Hahaha!" Alfred said with a snort, and Lizzie turned.

"Oh? Who?" Lizzie asked, curious.

"Hm. Went by the name of Edward...Edward something... Started with an E.. Uh, Edward Elurich?" Alfred said, trying to remember. Lizzie's eyes went wide for a moment. Her dad? Did she have every single damn trait, all from _him_? Even her alchemy skill... it was just passed down to her? Why was everything for her, alwas in the past "your father" this or, "you and he" or "him" or whatever... Everything she did, it all related back to Him. Still... Lizzie sighed, and got up once she was finished refueling her vehicle. She got on it, and started the engine. It made a ccrrr noise before starting. Alfred noticed her leaving at a slow pace, stopping once.

"It's Elric. His name was Edward Elric." Lizzie said monotonously and then sped off in a rush, down the streets to Central HQ. Alfred was left there, blinking in disbelief. How did she know who he was talking about? Now he finally remembered.

"Right! That's right! His name _was_ Edward Elric!" Alfred said with a snap of his fingers, finally walking back to his store; as if forgetting he had ever met Lizzie. Lizzie sped down the road, forcing back any tears or any sad thoughts that came to her mind. She wasn't going to lose it after coming so far! _'Damnit...DAMNIT ALL! Why do I have to be stuck with his traits?! Why couldn't I be stuck with Lys's?! I mean, then I wouldn't even be on this wild goosechase, and things would be perfect! I wouldn't have a care in the world about dad!...' _Lizzie thought angrily in her mind. After slowing down for a moment, she looked to see a sign pointing to Central. She sighed, and gulped once. "But I do care... that's my problem." she said aloud to herself, and finally after a few loose turns, a couple of corners taken, she finally arrived at Central. And boy, was it huge!

C--E--N--T--R--A--L--H-Q

"LOOK OUT! COMIN THROUGH MAKE WAY!" Lizzie roared as she sped down the path to the opening Central Gates, having military officers open them and have her speed through; making the officers jump out of the way. She sped up to at least about 50 MPH, finally coming to a screeching hault as her vehicle swerved off. Luckily, she managed to jump off before it hit the ground with a thud, knocking over 3 officers too. She was surrounded now. Okay, bad impression on the military.

"Hault! In the name of Furher Mustang what are you!...doing?.." a man's voice called angrily, stopping when he saw Lizzie from the back. Her red coat with the black cross and winged snake on it, her black boots and pants, golden braided hair.. When Lizzie turned to face him, the man could have sworn that an image of Ed flicker. He rubbed his eyes for a moment, and then stared again.

"I'm here to see Mustang! Where is he?" Lizzie responded, and then wondered why the man was staring at her like she was a ghost.

"Ed..Edward?" the man asked, his glasses falling slightly off his face. It was Lizzie's turn to look at the man strangely, looking at him like he had 6 heads. Now that she got a better look at him, she saw that he wore glasses, had black spiky hair, and seemed to be in his late 40s. Lizzie chuckled silently to herself for a moment, a small smile crossed her lips.

"You must be mistaking me, sir. My name is Elizabeth." Lizzie started, slowly feeling the last name roll off her tongue. "...Yes. Elizabeth Elric." she finished with a smile that could only come from the daughter of Edward himself.

Me: okay. that's the end of chapter 2. i can say that chapter 3 will be longer haha. and yes, i'm sorry if i rushed again, i just wanted to get across the people planned to be in the next chapter. and i will say that-

Lizzie: hey. u. writer. why do i have to always be cursing at dad?

Me: um, cause u hate the guy?

Lizzie: ok.

Me: anyways... i will say that-

Lizzie: Hey. writer. Who's the guy with the glasses?

Me: U'll find out in chapter 3! anyways readers, i will say that in chapter 3 the military troops are going to meet Lizzie and also a new character that u'll recognize as the son of!-

Lizzie: Until next chapter! Hey writer, go get me a sandwhich!

Me: U gotta be kidding me. Please R&R! byez. -Silver


	3. Old Friends of Father's

A/N: here is chapter 3 of my fanfic. sorry i took so long to update! and my new beta reader did well in reading and stuff..so i hope there aren't many or any errors in this chapter. i apology to the person i had asked b4 to be me betareader and i hope u forgive me!..anyways, I'm still very pleased how well it has gone, so i hope i haven't let you all down yet! it's longer than chapter 2.. but shorter than chapter 1 :) . anyways, this is going to be a long chapter story... liz hasn't even gotten out of central yet lol and i have something in store for her. (lizzie: like what?!) (silver: snicker) (lizzie: don't like the sound of that) yea, please R&R.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. All the credit goes to Hiromu Arakawa.

**Chapter 3: Old Friends of Fathers**

It felt like forever as Lizzie and the man with the glasses had a stare off. Lizzie could feel more and more military officers stare at her, surrounding her so she felt so enclosed in a tight little cubicle. Sighing once, she looked at the man with glasses and watched as he blinked, taking one step back. What? Was she contagious or something?

"Um...sir?" Lizzie asked.

"Oh! Y-yes?.." the man replied nervously.

"Well uh... not to be rude but, who are you? Did you know my dad?" Lizzie asked. The man looked embarrassed to her, laughing nervously with his hand behind his head.

"Oh right! I'm sorry, forgive my rudeness. My name is Cain Fuery; Lieutenant Colonel Fuery at your service, heh. I was considered, I guess, an... _acquiantance_ of your father." Fuery replied, sweatdrops flying. If anything, Lizzie figured that this guy out of all the others was the most energetic nervous guy to meet; somewhat.

"Please, tell me this... Would you happen to know where he is?!" Lizzie asked then, taking a step foward. Fuery took another back with a nervous look on his face, watching as she etched closer to him, finally reaching him. He frowned then, and looked off to the side in thought.

"Sorry, Eliza-"

"Please, call me Liz." she interrupted.

"R-right. Liz. Sorry but, I really don't know your father's whereabouts. To be very honest, I think that only Fuhrer Mustang could give you a hint to help you out in finding him." he answered, and Lizzie sighed with a sad frown. Fuery seemed a little guilty, and put a hand on her shoulder. She turned to him, curious eyes stared into his own. "In any case, tell me, you must be exhausted to travel all this way on foot...er, skateboard." Fuery said with a grin. Lizzie blushed for a moment, and looked at the ground.

"Wh-what makes you say that?" she asked, and then her eyes bulged slightly, her face turning beet red as her stomach made a loud growl. Some of the military officers snickered teasingly while others decided to go back to their posts. Fuery laughed as he gave her a pat on the back.

"Come on. I'll show you to the cafeteria. A lot of my buddies there knew your dad when he was your age. 15, right?" Fuery asked.

"Um, 16." Lizzie corrected and Fuery nodded slightly, his glasses pushed up.

"Oh! Right, I'm sorry. Well anyways, maybe they might know where your dad is." Fuery replied with a chuckle as he led Lizzie by the hand to the cafeteria. Now, all the officers that were left decided to disperse; going back to their posts. Above, a boy in his teens with raven colored hair and auburn colored eyes looked down at everyone; and stared at Lizzie, watching her walk off to the cafeteria. He smirked.

"Hm. Elric, huh?" he said to himself with a snotty tone to it, deciding he would go to the cafeteria himself..

C--A--F--E--T--E--R--I--A

"Whoa! You call _this_ a cafeteria?!" Lizzie practically exclaimed. It was about 10... no, 20 times her own kitchen! Okay, overexaggeration, but still. It _was_ huge. Fuery laughed, enjoying Lizzie's reactions to everything in the military.

"You think _this_ is **huge**? Wait until you see the Central Library nearby here. They just rebuilt it and expanded it." Fuery said as the two walked down the isles. Lizzie, for some _strange_ reason felt like all eyes were on her. It was like she was the ghost of the past... She felt so many military officers, a dozen at a time at a table staring at her wideyed, not believing that they didn't see Edward Elric in front of their very eyes. After a while, she wondered how damn long this cafeteria was, and decided to try and hide behind Fuery. Finally, they came to Fuery's table.. Of course, it just had to be the first one up at the cafeteria line which was so far away from the door they came from.

"Hey! Fuery! Finally! What took you so damn long?" a rough low voice called, with a bark following. Fuery laughed, and walked over to his friends.

"Breda! You know that Scruff isn't supposed to be in the cafeteria. What if Hawkeye catches you?" Fuery teased.

"I couldn't help it! Besides, what would that woman do? Shoot my head off?" Breda retorted with a laugh. Lizzie giggled for a moment, and then looked at Breda with a wide eyed stare as Fuery decided to sit down. She gulped, realizing that Breda was staring long and hard at her, as if trying to make out details of her.. seeing if she really was her father's kid. She decided to play along, and give Breda a harsh stare. It took a while, but finally, he rose from his spot and walked over to her. Whoa.. he was taller than her... and much more bigger than her.. It was like he was towering over her she felt so small!

"So, the rumors are true. At first I didn' believe it." Breda said with a semi grin.

"Rumors?" Lizzie repeated. Breda grunted/laughed.

"Word travels fast around Central HQ kid, especially when you've got at least 40 military troops here. Oh, as you know I'm Breda. Heymens, Breda. I'm also right now currently a Brigadier General." Breda said proudly, giving her a pat on the head. Scruff yipped happily in greeting when he walked over. "Oh yeah, this is Scruff, my canine pal and loyal companion." Breda introduced with a laugh. Lizzie looked to the side to see that Scruff was a cute shiba inu, his fur a nice red color while his face, paws, and stomach were peach colored. She then turned to Breda.. Now that she had goten a good look at the guy before her, she noticed he had orange hair that seemed to be faded just slightly, probably cause of age... He also had a scar that went from his left cheek all the way up, seemingly pierced his left eye, ending with the tip above his eyebrow. She could tell, he was blind in his left. Wait a sec, if this was Breda then...

"Hold on... N-no offense but if you're Breda, then why do you have a dog? My mom said that, you were afraid of dogs.. You wouldn't even come over to pet Sam when you visited a long time ago." Lizzie said, puzzled. Oh yeah... she remembered now, the first time the military troops came to visit with Uncle Armstrong. Mom said that it was a reunion, celebrating something... she couldn't remember, or maybe she just didn't_ want_ to remember. She remembered seeing people in her mind, they were fuzzy at first.

There was Uncle, Breda who apparently jumped into Uncle's arms when Sam came barking out happily, running up to them. Breda literally screamed like a little girl. The funny thing was, Sam was only a puppy back then. Breda let out a booming laugh that made Lizzie turn to reality.

"Time changes kid. To be honest, nowadays I respect all canines. See, they saved my life once. I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for them... I was lucky to get away with just a blind left eye and an automail leg." Breda responded, showing his right leg made of automail. Did her mom make that for him? She then watched as Breda gave Scruff a pat on his head, showing his thanks and love. Lizzie giggled, and then noticed the other two officers who still seemed to not make a move. Soon enough, the other two officers walked up to her, _examining _her.

"Well, you are Ed's kid. Size must run in the family huh?" one of them joked. He had brown hair and dirty blonde bangs, a toothpick in his mouth. He joked with her, placing his elbow on her head. "I could get used to an arm rest." he teased and she moved away.

"And who the heck are you?" Lizzie asked, a little cross.

"Heh. My name's Havoc; Jean Havoc. Currently right now I too am a Brigadier General." the man with the toothpick said rather proudly.

"Oh.. Say, didn't you smoke?" Lizzie asked. She seemed to remember that one time, when Uncle Armstrong visited, this man did as well. It was when she was 5 though.. Lys wouldn't remember. Lizzie liked this, suddenly remembering things from her past when people came to visit them.. But now she wondered... Did they just visit because they had a day off? Or maybe because they just didn't feel right with leaving them and mom alone?... Was it out of self pity, or was it just a friendly occasion?

"Hehe. I used to, but I stopped when I found out if I continued I'd die in a month. Which means no more pretty girls.." Havoc responded, making Lizzie have a vein pop. He turned to her, sweatdrops flew once. "Joking! Joking!" he covered, and she just nodded silently, still skeptical about his real motives for stopping the cigarettes. The other man then turned to her, he had such a stern look on his face. His hair was all gray, seemed only the tips on the back of his hair were black. He was silent and not moving for a moment, and then suddenly saluted to her abruptly.

"Colonel Falman, reporting!" he said rather loudly, making Lizzie jump for a moment out of suprise of his loudness. The others just laughed, used to Falman by now.

"Don't mind Falman, kid. He's _always_ been like that." Breda laughed, giving Falman a pat on the back. Lizzie nodded with a sweatdrop, but smiled. Already, she had made friends here; and lots of them, even if they were her father's friends when he was her age...

F---O---O---D---B---R---E---A---K

Lizzie couldn't remember the last time she had a good meal... Okay, overexaggeration. She did still have her lunch with her in the briefcase that was being guarded by Scruff. She silently walked down the line of the military men, feeling out of place. Was it the fact that she reminded everyone of Ed? Or the fact that she was the only one wearing something red. She walked by some bacon pieces, and then found three of them mysteriously placed on her tray. She looked up to see Breda smirk.

"Really they're good. Might be filled with fat, but good." Breda said, patting his stomach jokingly. Lizzie smiled. Okay, she could have bacon, even though it _was_ fattening. And hey, she was pretty slim for her age so a little meat wouldn't hurt. As she and the rest of the group continued to move down the line, they reached the end. Lizzie decided to get some milk, and walked back to the table. Breda and the rest of the crew watched in amazement. Milk? She drank _milk_? And here they thought she had every trait Ed had.

As Lizzie sat down at the table, she licked her lips as she stared at her food. She felt her mouth water, and the moment she bit down into her pancake she started to gobble her food down like a wild animal. Even Scruff backed away, ears lowered with a whimper. As the rest of the crew followed, Breda laughed out loud and gave her a strong slap on the back.

"Relax kid! It's breakfast, not dinner." Breda said and then sweatdropped when she started choking. Immediately she drank most of her milk and panted for breath. Her shoulders started to shake for a moment. "Uh.. kid?" Breda asked, poking her slightly. She turned, an evil glare in her eyes.

"Don't do that to me again! I almost DIED!" she roared/spazzed. Breda backed away quickly, laughing nervously.

"S-sorry! You just seemed... like you were a werewolf gobblin' down your food for a moment..." Breda commented.

"More like a wild, starving, pup." Havoc complimented and laughed. Lizzie eye twitched for a moment, and continued to eat in silence. Okay, so it wasn't that bad. After the little choking incident, she decided it'd be fun for once in a while to just; talk. Maybe even get questions answered about her father...

"Say, um... everyone?" Lizzie asked softly. Everyone looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to go on. She gulped once, and then took a breath. "Do you think you could... tell me who my dad is? I mean, I know he's an alchemist.. I know he was brave.. I know he was this, and that but what I really wanna know is who he is. Do you think you could.. tell me?" she asked. The group fell silent for a moment.

"Your dad...hm... How to put it." Breda started, scratching his chin.

"Your dad... the least that we could say, is that he was loyal. I mean, what do you really mean as in, you want to know who he is? I mean, you've seen a picture of him right? You've heard about him, right? I mean, what more is there to know about him?" Havoc asked. Strange... Now that Lizzie thought about it, what did she really mean by asking "who dad is"?

"Well... I've never met him... I hardly know him... He's nothing to me besides a famous state alchemist who achieved something very great. I wanna know.. I wanna know maybe about him... maybe where he is, why he isn't home... I have so many questions but..."

"Kid, you shouldn't worry about it. I'll tell you this. Your dad, Ed, if you think about it carefully... Maybe you could relate your dad to you." Breda suggested. That got Lizzie enraged.

"No! I don't _want_ to relate to him! Even though I look like him, can't everyone stop comparing me to him?! I don't care if I look like him, I don't care if maybe I have so many traits that he had! What he had, and what I have are different! Completely different! I'm me, I'm not like dad! I can't be like him! I can't! Why does everyone always relate me to him?! I may look like him, but that doesn't mean I'm not Elizabeth Rockbell!" she exclaimed angrily, her fist grabbed tightly around the napkin in her hand. Seemed whenever she got really pissed.. she decided to use her mother's last name instead of his. Havoc put a hand on Lizzie's shoulder once he got behind her.

"You really think that you're not like your dad Liz? Think about it this way. You're strong, you're determined, you've got a burning soul inside yourself pushing you on... You have a reason for your motives, you don't go back on your word, you're the same height, and everything... Sure, even if you look like your dad, you're right. You're you and not him, I get it. Still, maybe what you're asking is too hard for us to understand. Only you know the true answer that you're seeking. I think that only Ed could tell you. Truthfully, if you keep asking people about who he is, I think you'll just get answers you don't want to hear." Havoc explained. Lizzie sighed, knowing that somehow Havoc was right... The answer she was searching for, couldn't be found anywhere; except where her father was.

"The only thing you and your dad don't have in common, is the fact that you like milk." Fuery said with a laugh. Lizzie looked at Fuery, brow raised.

"Hahah! You bet. Ed wouldn't touch a bottle of milk if you forced him! Maybe that' why he was the size of a bean." Breda joked with a laugh. Lizzie couldn't help but join in right after. The thought of her dad, shorter than she was... the size of a bean... At least one thing she could say that was hers, and hers alone. Everything else... somehow he had taken from her.

"Hey kid, did you ever hear the story about your dad and Mustang fighting it off when your dad was 15?" Breda asked, nudging Lizzie slightly. Come to think of it, she hadn't really heard that many stories about her dad. Normally when Uncle Armstrong came, she would just nod off or pretend to listen, when really she didn't have a care in the world. Except now, it became slightly different. This time, she was ready to listen, and ready to learn about her father. Maybe everyone was right, if she really thought about it, if the way she acted was just like her dad's then who knows... She could just be seeking an answer that's already been in front of her face. Once thing was for certain though; where was he? Oh well... she decided not to think about that for now.

"No, I haven't. Tell me about it." Lizzie said with a smile.

T--R--A--I--N---S--T--A--T--I--O--N

As the train blew it's horn, Lys woke up abruptly. She had the most weirdest dream while she slept... Odd. She was in a house that was on fire... books were burning, the basement reeked with blood. It was scary... more like a nightmare now. She saw two figures, a person with golden hair with a red coat on with a black cross with a winged serpent on it, while the other was a man in a suit of armor. The person with golden hair threw a stick into their house that was lit, and both boy and man watched the house burn down.

The next thing that Lys saw in her dream was herself in the man's suit of armor, walking over slowly to the golden haired person's body... blood seeping onto the floor. It was strange, she felt weird and at a strange doorway.. .being sucked into a world that was apart from this one.. a world where a war was taking place. Soon after... she found herself in a bed with a woman standing over her. She looked just like mom... The next thing she knew, she awoke strangely by saying softly, "Brother...".

"Okay... So which way is Central?" Lys wondered to herself, grabbing a map of Central her mom gave her. She found herself at the train station point, and realized it wouldn't take that long to get to Central. She smiled, ready to go register for the exams. She didn't know really what to expect, but if she was going to pass she would pass with flying colors. Still, she was so curious as to where Lizzie was now... She still wished that Lizzie would take the alchemy exam with her.. Then both of them would be alchemists, and she would be able to travel with her sister. Besides, if Lizzie wanted to know their dad, then certainly Lys would wanna know about him too.

C--A--F--E--T--E--R--I--A

After a long few minutes later, Lizzie decided to speak again. She still wanting some questions answered. "Say um, would any of you guys know where my dad is right now? I mean, that's kind of why I came to Central in the first place..." Lizzie asked, taking a bite out of the rest of her egg.

"To be honest, we really haven't seen your dad in about... 21 years. Sorry Lizzie." Fuery apologized.

"O-oh... That's all right. I mean, I guess I should have expected that answer from you guys. After all, you said yourself that Mustang would be the only person who knew his whereabouts. Sorry I asked.." Lizzie apologized.

"No problem kid." Breda said, waving his hand up and down. Lizzie nodded silently, a small frown on her face. _'Well, guess Central's a NO. Where to next, again?... I still haven't asked this Mustang guy. Hope he's nice.'_ Lizzie thought to herself, and suddenly looked at her watch. Oh crud... It was 8:45... A frown was on her face, she was not happy. Not in the least.

"What's the matter Liz?" Havoc asked.

"Uh... I'm sorry I have to go." Lizzie exclaimed, gathering her briefcase and power wakling down the hall to the door, with her new military friends following close behind. As she opened the doors to the outside, she heard a shout from the side. She looked up to see that a boy knocked into her. Next thing Lizzie knew was that she was on the ground. They tumbled, and Lizzie landed on her stomach, lying on top of something... or... someone! Lizzie looked to see that she was on top of a boy her age. He had raven colored hair and auburn eyes that burned with integrity and furiousness. For a moment, Lizzie started to blush, to be pushed off abruptly as the boy stood up angrily.

"Watch where you're going!" the boy cried, outraged. She couldn't believe this. Did this, _boy_, just tell her what to do? That was it. No one, NO ONE told Elizabeth Elric to do anything. And further more, what the hell was he doing on the other side of the cafeteria doors? Trying to eavesdrop?! Oooh, if it was one thing or another, this boy was about to get a mouthful. Because Elizabeth Elric, was not one to mess with.

E-N-D--O-F--C-H-A-P-T-E-R--3

Lizzie: Oooh! Boy, you're about to get your ass kicked!

Boy: Do you know who you're talking to?!

Lizzie: Do I care?!

Boy: You asked for it!  
Lizzie: No, YOU ASKED FOR IT! punch

Boy: cry she hit me.

Me: ... Do I look like I care?

Boy: sob sob

Me: okay! yes.. so that ends chapter 3. chapter 4 will be soon, and don't worry the boy's not as wimpy as he sounds (boy: i'm appauled!). anyways, can anyone guess who this guy is by the description? it should be obvious lol. anyways, yea there's gonna be a pairing in this story. ocxoc haha. ok so yea... like i said, there's gonna be a lot goin on in central.. and like i said, i have something planned in store for liz.

Lizzie: is it becoming a state alchemist?!

me: maaaybe... but in time you will see as to why maybe u shall be a state alchemist..

lizzie: o joy. this is gonna interrupt my adventure!

me: nah. it'll just give you more.. plot, and later on, fluff.

lizzie: ...fluff? wth?

me: um... nvm forgot u're not from our 2007 time..

lizzie: ...oO?! 2007?!

me: moving on! see u next time for chapter 4! -Silver

lizzie: seriously...2007?!!!!


	4. Preparing for the Exam?

A/N: finally! fanfic was bein retarded with me sayin errors kept occurin when i was submittin my documents! so anyways, yay i updated! okay.. for those of u who stuck with the first chapter, i seriously CONGRATULATE U. this chapter... dare i say it... is 24 pgs... so skim if u must as long as u get the key parts! the main key part in this chapter, is when lizzie is running down the hallways of central and sees a military officer who looks very suspicious.. hm. that's all i'll be giving away right now, the rest will be explained. anyways, yes, well, enough of my rambling. please R&R. Hope u like the chapter. o yea, it seems Riza might be a lil ooc... but she's just in one part of the chapter so nothing to worry about! haaha.../sweatdrop/ moving on. -Sil

**Disclaimer:** I don't own FMA. it's a great show though. i heart ed!

**Chapter 4: Preparing for the Exam?**

"Watch where you're going!" Lizzie couldn't believe this. This boy, just told her what to do! No one told Elizabeth Elric what to do! ESPECIALLY A MALE! (no offense to the guys reading this story).

"Hey! I wasn't the one in front of the stinkin' door!" Lizzie shouted defensively. _'What. A. Bastard!'_ she thought. When her friends came to her side, Havoc extended a hand.

"Liz, you all right?" Havoc asked, helping her up. Lizzie got up a little painfully at first, and then stared daggers at the boy before her.

"Leo, what're you doin' down here? Weren't you supposed to be in the training grounds?" Breda asked. Scruff growled slightly at his companion's side. Leo just shrugged his shoulders, auburn eyes glaring at Lizzie. He brushed himself off, and then walked over to her. She stared at him, noticing that her height compared to his was shorter by about three inches. He glanced over her first, and then placed his hand under her chin, raising her face slightly so he could see her golden eyes flaring.

"What the Hell?! Get offa me you fleabag!" Lizzie roared, slapping Leo's hand away. Leo looked at Lizzie with disgust.

"Heard you were an Elric. My dad told me all about your dad. That's reason enough not to like him, or _you_." Leo replied sternly.

"That makes two of us..." Lizzie mumbled to herself bitterly.

"Hey! Don't you know who I am?!" Leo cried, outraged that not once yet had Lizzie asked who he was.

"Do I look like I care?" Lizzie responded and Leo growled silently to himself.

"I'm Leo Mustang." Leo said proudly.

"Yeah yeah yeah. So? You're the son of the Fuhrer, who the hell-...wait...MUSTANG?!" Lizzie exclaimed. Leo nodded simply.

"That's right. You'd better show me-"

"I need to talk to your dad! Please, it's very important! That's the soul reason why I came here!" Lizzie interrupted, Leo looking very cross. At first, he seemed to be in thought, and then smiled slyly.

"Sorry. No can do. You need to have an appointment with him. Do ya have one?" he asked in a smartass tone. Lizzie really didn't like this guy; AT ALL. Before Lizzie could answer though, the group heard a voice call from the distance.

"Hello?! Alyssa Elric reporting for the State Alchemist Exam!"

Full--------Metal--------Alchemist

Did Lizzie hear right? Did she just hear her sister's voice?... Lizzie froze in her spot, a strange fear took over. Oh crud, what was she to do? She had stayed too long... now what?! Should she hide? Face her sister? Run to the next destination?

"Crud.." she seethed. As the group listened to a loud noise coming from the east, they soon saw Lys round the corner, heading straight towards them and the cafeteria. Lizie immediately hid behind Breda, back turned, hood up. Winry had never told them what their dad wore, so as long as Lys didn't see her face or her hair, she was safe. It seemed the military, and Leo, got the message; but sadly one was having the fun of revealing her identity. As Lys finally came to them, she smiled happily.

"Hello there. I'm Alyssa Elric, but you can just call me Lys. I'm here to sign up for the Alchemy Exam. Do you think you could tell me where I sign up?" Lys asked politely.

"Ah! Another Elric! _Wonderful_." Leo said dryly, loudly, and dramatically. Lys looked at Leo, confusion written on her face.

"D-did... you just say, _another_ Elric? Did Lizzie come by?! Is she still here?! Tell me!" Lys practically shrieked, acting like a spoiled lost little kid.

"Sh-she came and went!" Fuery answered quickly.

"O-oh.." Lys said, disappointed.

"What _are_ you talking about? She's right _there_." Leo pointed, clearly enjoying this. _'I HATE THIS PAIN IN THE ASS!'_ Lizzie thought in the back of her mind. Lys brushed past Breda, and took the hood off.

"Hey...Lys..." Lizzie said softly, her eyes flaring at Leo as she avoided eye contact with her sister. Lys immediately latched onto her sister in a hug, and immediately her eyes were flaring.

"If you were going to come here in the first place, then why'd you leave me?! Do you really not want me around or something?!" Lys asked.

"Lys, it's not like that I swear! I'm sorry! Really, I stayed too long! I only came to talk to Mustang!" Lizzie apologized. Boy did she not like situations where she felt all the guilt.

"Well,... now that you're here, you're going to be a State Alchemist with me!" Lys declared stubbornly. Lizzie felt her mouth drop onto the ground.

"Lys! I have too much important things to do! I told you from the very moment that I had to find-"

"We'll find him together if you become a State Alchemist with me! Please sis?! I mean, I wanna find dad too..." Lys said, sounding very disappointed if her sister said no. Lizzie stared at Lys for a moment, a pout on her face. She finally sighed, and gave in.

"Okay, okay. I'll enter in the exams too. But after that we both leave to find dad, okay? I'm not going out of my way to serve the military. Finding dad is too important." Lizzie finally said, and laughed when Lys gave her older sister a hug.

"Thank you thank you thank you!" Lys exclaimed. Breda and the rest of the gang smiled happily, while Leo walked off somewhere. He hoped that Lys and Lizzie would be under the jurisdiction of his father once they passed... Actually, more like _if_ they passed. His father was the one who always chose who came and who went. Not once had his father passed anyone in the previous years. Anyways, Leo at this time felt more... bored now, so he decided he would go practice his shootings. After all, he did take after his mother with his aiming ability. It was his sister who was more interested in their father's alchemy more than ever.

R-E-G-I-S-T-R-A-T-I-O-N--O-F-F-I-C-E

As Lys, Lizzie, and the rest of the military group walked down the halls of Central, it seemed almost every single military officer whispered as they went by salluting. It seemed like Lizzie and Lys were famous here, and also honored and respected. Lys seemed to giggle, and like the attention she was receiving as she soluted back to every officer who did.

"Lys, you're acting like a three year old." Lizzie said bluntly.

"_I'm_ just having fun!" Lys replied, sticking her tongue out at her sister. Lizzie rolled her eyes with a smile on her face.

"Whatever. C'mon, let's get to the registration office." Lizzie replied, deciding to run a little down the hall. Running and running, Lizzie saw a lot of military troops look at her with respect as they either soluted or smiled. Only one did not. She caught this officer out of the corner of her eye, his cold eyes giving her a glare. This made her look back at the man, his cold black eyes still glaring. Something about this guy seemed different from all the other military officers... Was he a threat? A sickening feeling entered Lizzie's mind. What if he was a bad guy under cover or something? That couldn't be possible, could it?

As Lizzie continued to stare at the man, she didn't realize that somebody was coming straight ahead, with a large pile of books in her hand. As Lizzie finally turned to look at where she was going, it was too late. She bumped into a woman with glasses and brown hairmaking the woman with glasses fall with a thud, the very large and long pile of books falling on top of her and on the floor. When this happened, the military man disappeared into the shadows of the hallway.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" Lizzie shouted as she picked up nearby stray books, and those on top of the woman's lap. The woman laughed nervously as she dusted herself up once all the books were on the ground.

"Oh it's no problem at all. I _am_ known to be a clutz." the woman said sheepishly, a blush across her face.

"No really, it was my fault. I should have watched where I was going." Lizzie apologized, bowing slightly. She then looked up to meet a hand stretched out in greeting in front of her face.

"I'm Sciezka. It's a pleasure to meet you, uh..." Sciezka started, helping Lizzie up with a nervous smile.

"Oh! Right. I'm Elizabeth Elric. But you can just call me Lizzie." Lizzie introduced with a grin on her face.

"Ah! No wonder that coat looked so familiar! I have a horrible memory apparently, but with books it's completely different! Talk about being a book worm haha! To be quite honest, our little run-in with books is how I met your dad." Sciezka said with a smile, laughing at the memory of first meeting Edward.

"Really? How'd you meet our dad?" Lys asked.

"And if you could... could you tell me where dad is?" Lizzie added. Sciezka laughed again, a lone sweatdrop flew.

"Well you see... Your father and uncle went to visit me in my house, but of course as you know, bookworm as I am; I had thousands of books inside. So I was basically stuck in a pile of them. Your father and uncle were the ones to dig me out after I practically squeaked for help. I was glad they came too, I really didn't know how long I'd be under that pile. It's amazing what books can draw to you. Ya know?" Sciezka said with a smile. Lys laughed too, and Lizzie smiled simply.

"Heh. It's pretty cool I guess... But do you know where dad is?" Lizzie asked. Sciezka thought for a moment. Should she really tell them where Edward truly was? I mean, it had been so long since the Gate was destroyed for both worlds but, did that mean that it would never be able to be opened ever again? Hm, time could only tell. With a final decision, Sciezka decided that it would be best to not tell the girls their fathers whereabouts. Besides, she knew that Winry didn't tell them for a special reason. So maybe, maybe Lizzie was to find out on her own.

"Nope. Sorry, I have no clue about where Edward is. Maybe you could have better luck in-"

"Don't worry my next stop is Lior." Lizzie interrupted with a smile. "After that it's off to Xenotime, then Rush Valley, and then Dublith. There's bound to be someone who knows dad's whereabouts. Anyways, Miss Sciezka my sister and I must go off to sign the alchemy exam. It was nice meeting you." Lizzie added, not wanting to continue the conversation. She thought that now, if anybody had no information about her father then why keep the conversation going? Selfish yes, but she wanted to find him as soon as possible; for mom's sake... and for Lys's... Lizzie bowed, and quickly walked off; leaving the rest behind.

"Oh, well... Nice meeting you too.." Sciezka said, feeling slightly guilty. She had heard about Lizzie, the rebellious one, the one known as the "reincarnation" of Edward, with the exception of being a girl. Lys sweatdropped slightly.

"Sorry about my sister, Miss Sciezka. She's just got a one-track mind." Lys said playfully, and Sciezka smiled in response, finally saying goodbye and walking off to the Central Library. Even though now she was a Second Lieutenant now, that still didn't mean she wasn't a book worm anymore.

Lizzie mumbled under her breath as she finally found the registration desk. In front of her was a woman with yellow hair like her moms, in a bun. Beside her was a girl around the age of 18... She had the same color hair of Leo... but dyed her bangs light blonde. Her eyes were a nice dark blue color. It seemed the girl was bored, snapping from time to time having her fingers splurt out some flame sparks.

"Um excuse me.." Lizzie said nervously. The woman turned to her, wide eyed for a moment.

"Edward?" she choked slightly. Lizzie laughed a little, she was getting used to this by now.

"Sorry. Elizabeth's the name." Lizzie responded. The woman seemed to be very embarrassed.

"I'm so sorry. Riza Mustang. And this is my daughter, Ren Mustang." Riza decided to introduce. Ren seemed to turn, that bored look on her face disappearing.

"You're Liz, right? My little brother told me about you." Ren said.

"Oh? What'd you brother say?" Lizzie asked.

"Said you were a strange one, and you certainly are. You really do look like your dad. Well anyways, your dad is nothing compared to our dad." Ren said bluntly. Wow, she had courage to insult Lizzie with the pleasure of having her mother in front of her. Talk about guts.

"Ren! How can you say such a thing? Apologize right now!" Riza demanded angrily.

"No it's okay Miss Riza. I'm sure my father... couldn't compare to yours." Lizzie said, a little sadness came from her tone. Ren seemed to wonder what Lizzie meant by that, but kept quiet.

"Heh. Hell yeah." Ren replied with a laugh as she snapped her fingers, a flame current surrounded Lizzie for a moment, disappearing right before her very eyes. Seemed like Ren wanted to give a show to Lizzie.

"Ren! What is with you today? You should be ashamed. You shouldn't even be doing-" CLAP. FSSSSHHHHHHH... Riza turned, amazed as sparks flew from Lizzie's alchemy. Hey, if this smart ass wanted to play with alchemy then let it be. In front of their eyes, Lizzie had created a statue of a silver cross, a winged serpent upon it. It glimmered as the light above shined. Riza stared, mouth wide open. It seemed that Ren wasn't impressed.

"So you can do alchemy with your hands. Big whoop." Ren said, aggrivated.

"Let's see you try without using gloves." Lizzie answered back. Before Ren could protest, the military crew and Lys arrived at the scene.

"Whoa! Sis! Did you make that?!" Lys asked, astonished. Even the rest of the military around them were amazed. Lizzie smiled, and nodded with a grin.

"You bet. Now then, let's see you do that Ren." Lizzie challenged. Ren seemed to blush in anger for a moment, but took off her gloves.

"Oh please... I bet you anyone could do alchemy with just clapping their hands together." Ren said, clapped her hands, and placed them on the ground. Nothing happened, and it seemed the room grew silent. Lizzie snickered as Ren fumed. "How can you do that? You must have alchemy tattoos or something!" Ren said angrily, looking at Lizzie's palms. Nothing.

"It's a gift. Some have it, others don't. Looks like you and I have two completely different kinds of alchemy. Now if you don't mind," Lizzie said, pushing Ren aside. "My sister and I are here to enter the alchemy exam." she finished, having Riza give the two the registration forms. Well, if for one thing, Lizzie really didn't like the Mustang siblings. They just kept making her feel more frustrated. Gee, now she wondered about their dad. Was he as pissy as they were? Once the forms were filled out, the two sisters were registered for competition.

"All right! Sis, let's start studying! To the library!" Lys exclaimed, but Lizzie declined.

"Sorry Lys. I'm gonna stay around here. Besides, the alchemy exam shouldn't be too hard at all." Lizzie said with a shrug.

"Negative you two. You're going to have to stay with someone if you really want to pass. I have a place in mind but... I'm not sure if you'd be interested." Riza responded, placing a hand on the two girl's shoulders.

"What place do you have in mind, if you don't mind me askin' Major General ma'am." Breda said, a slight waver of uneasyness came from his voice.

"...Nina's place." Riza answered.

"Nina?" Lys asked.

"She's the daughter of Shou Tucker." Lizzie answered abruptly. Her sister, and everyone else turned to her; their eyes looking curiously at her. " Lys... I read, once, in a journal of dad's that I found... That there was this little girl they had visited when he and uncle Al were trying out to become State Alchemists. She was only four when they met her, but dad considered her to be their little sister..." Lizzie explained with a gulp.

"Ed kept a journal?" Fuery questioned.

"Dad also said that... her father transmuted her and her dog into a chimera... The end results were, a disaster. Nina died, and supposedly Shou was sentenced to death. Dad later said that he met Shou again, but this time he was a chimera himself trying to revive Nina... It seemed that he was successful..." Lizzie finished, a small bead of sweat rolled down her face. She ignored Fuery's question.

"It seemed so. On his death bed in his arms was a Nina doll... but with her soul. He had succeeded, and the cost was his life for hers. It seems though, that the Nina now only had memories of her four year old self and before she was transformed; still in the body of a seven year olds'. At least now she's 28. I'm pretty sure she would love to see you and Alyssa. It will bring back happy memories for her... Also, the books there should help you with the exam." Riza explained, and Lizzie nodded.

"C'mon Sis! Let's get a head start!" Lys exclaimed as she ran out.

"I'll be there in a moment!" Lizzie shouted, asking Breda to go follow Lys. He agreed, and now there was just so many people left in the room; even though it grew quiet. Lizzie turned to Riza, a questioned look on her face.

"Please Miss Riza, I have a question... Could you tell me about my father?" Lizzie asked.

"What? Can't even know anything about your dad? You seem to know plenty already." Ren piped in. That was it, Lizzie had had it with this girl. She was getting on her last nerves... Lizzie finally snapped angrily, grateful that Lys wasn't here to witness what she would say. She walked over to Ren, and gave her a slap over the face. Ren had an awestrucken look on her face as she stared into Lizzie's flaring eyes when Lizzie grabbed hold of her collar.

"Shut up!" Lizzie spat coldly, golden eyes raging. "You don't know anything. You don't know my life! You don't know a thing, so how can you criticize me when you've had a dad in front of you all along?! While I'm stuck with always wondering, always dreaming, always questioning! You can't possibly think that I could know anything about that stupid...stupid bastard of a father!" Lizzie roared angrily, golden eyes flaming as they stared into Ren's misunderstanding eyes. She seemed speechless for a moment, but regained herself. She slapped Lizzie's hand away from her grasp, and brushed herself off. Next, she turned to the whole group with a sour look on her face.

"Excuse me." she said and walked off somewhere. The room grew silent again, and Lizzie sighed; taking a deep breath.

"I'm sorry you had to hear me say that... All of you, I know how much respect you had for my dad... Sorry, everyone." Lizzie apologized. Riza smiled lovingly for a moment.

"It's all right. I understand, don't worry. I think that Ren just might be jealous of you. You're the talk of the military all right. Maybe she just thinks you're gaining all the attention she should have, if you know what I mean." Riza said jokingly, making Lizzie smile. "Now then, you wanted me to tell you about your father. Well let's see... he was strong, brave, stubborn, fierce... I guess I'm basically repeating myself, but still. If one word could give you all the meaning of your father; I'd say it would be his Determination." Riza said. Lizzie nodded, and then heard the other officers give their opinion as well.

"I'd say it would be his Courage." Falman said with a smile.

"His Love for his brother." Fuery added.

"His Stubbornness." Havoc said with a shrug. Lizzie smiled slightly, all the wonderful things she was hearing about her dad... It made her happy, but also angry. What would she really do when she met him? At first, she just wanted to punch the lights out of him but, now; hearing all of these things about him... Maybe she'd get a better understanding now. Oh well, no one would know until later on anyways.

"Thanks everyone. Well, I had better find Breda and Lys. Thanks again, bye guys." Lizzie said with a wave, and started to walk off.

"Wait. Elizabeth." Riza called. Lizzie turned, a curious look on her face.

"While you're there, Nina has an 8 year old daughter of her own right now. So be on your best behavior." Riza said with a smile. "Also, here's the address and their phone number." Riza said, handing her a slip of paper. Lizzie nodded with a grin as she put the little slip of paper in her pocket.

"Okay. I will. Thanks. Bye Miss Riza." Lizzie said wtih a bow, and ran off to where Breda and Lys exited the building. It seemed the military troops, stood there in their place. They were silent for a few moments, trying to find the right words to speak.

"She really does have a grudge on Ed... I didn't think she'd have one to be honest. Especially a grudge that's stayed with her ever since she was little." Havoc said with a sweet sigh.

"Well, it seems that Edward has gained a reputation, like his bastard father before him." Riza joked silently. The rest of the group smiled sadly. Hopefully, Lizzie would see the truth... and not think of her father, like the father Hoenheim of Light had been for Edward. It was almost as if, Edward's journey had been revived once again, bringing back memories, old friends; and some new people to meet..

T-U-C-K-E-R--M-A-N-S-I-O-N

Lizzie stared at the house-...no. _Mansion_ before her. Holy cow, it was huge! She gulped once, and rang the bell. Whistling for a few minutes, she heard footsteps and the door open. Lizzie looked up to see an older girl in front of her, a little taller than she was.

"H-hi..." Lizzie said nervously, staring into the peacock green eyes of a beautiful woman. She had lovely wavy brown hair that went to her stomach, and her green eyes were too mesmerizing.

"Hello there. Let me guess, it's Elizabeth right?" the woman asked, her voice sounding sweet and jolly.

"Y-yes. And you must be, Miss Nina." Lizzie said, suprised someone actually knew her by her real name. Nina nodded with a smile.

"Lizzie! Over here!" Lys called from inside. Lizzie turned to see Lys inside, already her nose was diving into the alchemy books. A big white dog lay beside her, snoozing away. The dog looked like a big white husky dog with lots of fur. A little form could be seen, head resting against the dog's stomach. It must've been Nina's 8 year old daughter.

"Well, don't just stand there silly. Come in." Nina said with a smile, moving to the side of the door. Lizzie walked inside quietly, looking around the place. It seemed pretty huge from the inside too. She walked over to Lys and the dog, seeing Breda sitting on the couch; waving silently. Lizzie smiled with a nod, and then turned to her sister.

"So how long have you been here Lys? See you've made some new friends." Lizzie said. Believe or not, she wasn't the type that actually worked with little kids besides her sister... Well, kids that were really younger than she was. Harsh yes, but that's just the way she was. She wondered if Ed was like that with little kids too...

"Yeah. That's Sarah and her dog, Alex." Lys whispered, pointing. Sarah had the exact same hair color as her mother, but it was a little short, only going to her shoulders. She snuggled against her dog's fur with a smile on her face.

"Please, make yourselves at home you two. Breda, will you be staying for lunch?" Nina asked kindly. Breda laughed softly to himself.

"As much as I'd like to say "yes", I really have to get going. The others must need me by now and we need to get the exams ready. Remember you two, next week. You only get this week to study, so study hard! And I hope you pass the exam with flying colors." Breda said with a wave, and with that he was out the door. The three girls smiled, and then Nina turned to them.

"Anyways, what would you two like for lunch?" Nina asked.

"Sandwhiches!" Lys suggested. Nina laughed.

"Sandwhiches it is." Nina said and walked into the kitchen. Lizzie watched her leave, and then looked out the window, hearing pages turn from the book in her sister's hands. Should she even study? Maybe she should just try it for fun, maybe flunk it on purpose... but then what kind of reputation would that lead? _'If I do take the alchemy exam and pass.. Then I'll be a damn dog to the military. If I don't pass... then everyone will wonder how the hell I'm related to dad. Then again, I might be under the jurisdiction of Mustang, and if that happens I could get leads. Maybe I could suggest to him that my mission for Central is to bring dad home, and find him.'_ Lizzie thought to herself, feeling something wet on her hand. Lizzie looked down to see slobber.

"Ah!" she cried in alarm, falling on the ground with a thud. Alex, the dog, happily wagged his tail and barked once. Lizzie found herself being "attacked" by Alex, laughing as slobber began to be on her face at the licks of Alex.

"Alex! That's not nice, now please get off." a small voice squeaked, and Alex obeyed, getting off of Lizzie. Lizzie looked up to see Sarah awake, her sapphire eyes gleaming. Lizzie blinked once, and then wiped the slobber off her face.

"Th-thanks.." she managed to say. Not working well with little kids put Lizzie at the disadvantage, and Sarah just turned to Lys to see what she was up to.

"Lys, how are you doing with the alchemy?" Sarah asked.

"Very good! Say Sarah, this is my sister." Lys introduced, pointing to Lizzie.

"Oh. Hello." Sarah said, and without another word turned back to Lys. Lizzie rolled her eyes for a moment, slightly annoyed.

"I'll be outside. If you need me just holler." Lizzie said as she walked outside, closing the door behind her. So what if she wasn't good with kids? Seriously, why'd that kid have to give her a strange look and then just ignore her? Did she have a disease or something? Lizzie walked onto the front lawn, looking up at the clouds. It was a beautiful day, maybe she should take a light jog. Without hesitating, Lizzie bounded off and down the street, leaving her sister to work on the exam. Besides, Lizzie didn't really care if she passed or not. She didn't even want to become a State Alchemist in the first place.

S-T-R-E-E-T-S--O-F--C-E-N-T-R-A-L

Lizzie seemed to be jogging forever down the lonely streets of Central. It was like everybody here was either a) dead, or b) completely boring. She never saw a town that full of... _"energy"_. Only once did she find someone outside, and that was a girl about 21. She had nice brown tannish kind of hair, and green eyes. She lived in a small house, Lizzie could tell, and watched the girl eye her kindly as she finally entered her small home. Lizzie wondered who that girl was, but decided it would be best not to snoop. Still, she _was_ curious... She mysteriously made it to the girl's window, and saw the girl conversing with her mother.

"I'm going to father's grave today." the woman said with a smile. "I'm sorry I haven't visited in a while mom. Things have been hectic at Central nowadays... And though no one knows this except for Mustang's crew, another war after so many years broke out. A rebellion actually." she added sadly.

"A rebellion? With who?" her mother asked. Lizzie felt a sudden pang hit her stomach. A rebellion? And the military was involved? That guy... _'Is he a rebel? Is he trying to infiltrate Central?!'_ Lizzie thought.

"Some alchemists have been toying with their alchemy, claiming they are messengers of God and that they can use alchemy for the wrong reasons. To be famous, to create gold, all the wrong purposes of alchemy. So far our ranks have been able to outnumber the alchemists, but it's only a matter of time before the war becomes serious... Soon, I might have to take over and fight in the war. Though not said, we have had recent attacks on the military inside HQ, but not making it present to the outside world to create alarm." the girl explained. Her mother seemed a little shocked, but calmed down.

"That's all right honey... I'm just glad you're able to stop by now and then. As long as you're safe, that's all that matters to me. And as for the war, as long as you'll be all right and safe... then I'll always be waiting." her mother replied lovingly. Lizzie smiled at the bond those two had, thinking that it was about time she called her mom too... She did promise her that she would.

"Mom, I'll tell dad that you said "hi". Better be off. You know how Mustang can get if you're not at Central by the time limit." the girl joked as she rushed out the door, walking down the path and to the graveyard. So, the girl's father had died a long time ago... Lizzie decided to follow. Who knows, maybe she'd make a new friend too in the process.

T-U-C-K-E-R--M-A-N-S-I-O-N

"Can't catch me, can't catch me!" Sarah laughed as she ran around the yard with Lys chasing her.

"Come back here! Don't make me have to lunge!" Lys said playfully as she finally tackled Sarah lightly to the ground. The two tumbled, and laughed. Alex decided to join them, and gave both of them a bath full of licks and dog slobber.

"Alyssa! Sarah! It's time for lunch. Do you know where Elizabeth went?" Nina called from the door. Sarah pouted while Lys looked around curiously. Now that Nina mentioned it, Lys hadn't seen her sister in a while since the time she had come. Did she really just push this whole alchemy exam off? Was she really even going to stay? It made Lys angry, thinking what her sister might be doing right now. Probably off somewhere, away from her, away from alchemy, away from the exam... What had Lys done to make Lizzie apparently _hate_ her and have absolutely nothing to do with her?

"Come on, Lys. Lunch!" Sarah said, pulling Lys's hand to where the door was. Lys smiled, following. Oh well.. At least here, she had a little sister that could fill Lizzie's place.

G-R-A-V-E-Y-A-R-D

Lizzie followed close behind the girl before her, sometimes hiding behind trees and such. She watched as the girl reached one grave, placing a boquet of flowers on it. She bowed her head in prayer, a smile on her face.

"Hi, daddy. I'm back again, and I've been upped a ranking again. Can you believe that now I'm a Lieutenant Colonel? That was the exact position you were, before you were upped..." the girl said silently, a sad smile on her face. "Oh. I've heard news about the war... I hope that you'll be guiding me to victory. Are you watching me, dad? Have I done a good job ever since your death?" the girl asked herself, looking up at the clouds.

Lizzie listened to the girl's words, wishing that she had a close bond with her dad too... but all she had was a building rage inside her. Lizzie continued to watch as the girl paryed to her father. Curious even more, she took another close step to where the girl was, hoping to get a closer look at the grave when all of a sudden- SNAP.

"Who's there?" the girl asked abruptly, standing as a dagger appeared in her hand. A silence brewed, and a wind began to pick up. _'Oh crud...'_ Lizzie thought and hesitantly stood up.

"S-sorry! I didn't mean to alarm you! I mean... yeah I was just curious and all and I know it's not very nice to sneek up on people and all and..um.." Lizzie spazzed, bowing slightly, trying to find the right words of apology. When she looked up, she noticed the girl stare at her strangely. "Er...Before you say anything, the name's Elizabeth Elric... but you can just call me Liz." Lizzie said with a nervous grin. The girl relaxed for a moment, a sigh with a winking grin.

"I'm Elicia. Elicia Hughes."

Full-----Metal-----Alchemist

"So you're the daughter of Maes Hughes." Lizzie said with a smile, kicking her legs up and down as she sat on a long rectangular grave. Lizzie didn't know how long she had been talking to Elicia. And only now she felt it was neccessary to bring up about Elicia's father.

"Yes. And you, of Edward Elric. You must be proud to be his child." Elicia said with a smile. Lizzie stopped kicking her legs for a moment.

"Yeah... I _guess_ you could say proud..." Lizzie said with a sulk, looking at the ground. _'More like disgusted.'_ she thought angrily. She then turned to Elicia with a envious look on her face, but at the same time a respectful one. "But boy, Maes Hughes; the "family man". I'd give anythin' to have a dad like yours." Lizzie said with a grin. Elicia just smiled, turning slightly to stare at her father's grave.

"I'm sure my father would be flattered." Elicia said. She then had her dagger appear. She looked at it with affection as the edge of the blade glimmered from the sun's rays. "These are the only things I have of my father... He died, when I was only three and yet, I remember so much about him. He was such a great father... It's ashame, that he's gone." Elicia said with a sad smile.

"Oh... I'm so sorry about that, Elicia." Lizzie said sadly, and then took out her father's pocket watch, staring at it for a moment. Finally looking at the military's crest on it; beginning to fade away like it was never there... "With me, the only thing I have that belongs to my dad is this watch. He died the day I was born.." Lizzie said, anger rising in her veins as she clenched the watch tightly.

"Oh? No one's told us that Edward died. When did he die?" Elicia asked, a puzzled look on her face. Lizzie started to laugh, she couldn't help **but** laugh.

"Sorry... Figure of speech I guess. My dad's never really been alive to me because, I don't know him... So I guess he's never really been dead, just dead in here..." Lizzie explained, pointing to her heart. Elicia looked up to the sky for a moment, and then turned to Lizzie.

"You and I are a lot alike. Why don't you stay at my house tonight?" Elicia suggested. Lizzie's mouth opened wide a little bit, and Elicia chuckled slightly. "You're here for the alchemy exam, right? We have a lot of alchemy books for you. What do you say?" Elicia asked. Lizzie thought for a moment, looking up at the clouds. _'I guess I really don't have a choice... Guess I really am going to be a State Alchemist whether I like it or not.'_ Lizzie thought, and then smiled, flinging herself off of the grave and landing on the ground next to Elicia.

"All right. I'd be happy to, if I'm not any trouble that is." Lizzie said. Elicia grinned.

"Not at all. Come on." Elicia replied, walking with Lizzie back to her house.

H-U-G-H-E-S--H-O-U-S-E

Inside the small Hughes residence, Elicia's mother was washing the dishes, humming as she did. The running water, the soap bubbles, the stove running... She was going to give her daughter a nice dinner before she came back. She looked at the clock. It was amazing how time just flew by. Right now it was about 5. There was a small knock at the door, and Elicia's mother stopped what she was doing and opened it to see her daughter and Lizzie stand there.

"Mom, this is Elizabeth Elric." Elicia introduced.

"H-hello ma'am... I hope it isn't any trouble, if I stay with you until the alchemy exams are over..." Lizzie said with a nervous smile. Elicia's mother just smiled back.

"Not a problem dear. My name is Gracia Hughes. I'd love to have you stay. An extra hand around the house is what I'd like to say. Make yourself at home." Gracia said with a smile, and Lizzie nodded. Gracia laughed then, moving out of the way as both Lizzie and Elicia stepped into the house. Lizzie felt so at home here for some reason once she stepped inside... It was strange. She guessed the Hughes family was really a true family, unlike hers... Suddenly, the phone rang and Gracia went to get it.

"Dear! It's for you! Fuhrer called, wondering where you were!" Gracia called. Elicia excused herself and went to the phone. Lizzie sat on the couch, silent for a while as she looked at some photos. One was of Elicia, when she was only 3. She looked really cute. Another was of Elicia, and Lizzie's mother... Boy did mom look amazing when she was a teen. She was even more beautiful now. Lizzie then turned to a picture with Elicia, Gracia, and a man in it together as a family. Ah, so that was Hughes. Lizzie saw a picture of Hughes, Gracia, and Elicia. Hughes had spiky hair, glasses, and a long strand of bang going off to one side.

"Dear? Looking at pictures, I see?" Gracia said, making Lizzie jump slightly.

"O-oh! I'm sorry! Sorry!" Lizzie apologized.

"Haha. Don't worry about it." Gracia said, walking over to the picture. "Ah, my husband. He sure was a pretty goofy one, wouldn't you say?" Gracia joked, staring at the picture lovingly. Lizzie smiled nervously, and then heard Elicia enter the room.

"Darn. I forgot to show up so tommorow I'm going to have to get up extra early." Elicia groaned with a laugh. She then turned to Lizzie, who had a strange look on her face.

"Um... Miss Hughes?" Lizzie asked.

"Yes dear?" Gracia replied sweetly.

"If it's all right with you.. may I please use your phone? I'd like to make some calls if that's okay.." Lizzie said, and Gracia nodded, pointing to the family room where the phone was. Lizzie excused herself, and walked over to the phone in the other room. She picked up the phone, and dialed the numbers. A few ringings could be heard, and then she heard a voice on the other line. It sounded like Auntie Rose.

"Hello? Who is it?"

"A-Auntie? It's me... Liz. Is mom there?"

"Oh! Lizzie I'm so glad to hear from you!.. No, Im' sorry honey. Your mother left quite a while ago." Auntie Rose replied. There was a short pause. "Lizzie?"

"I'm here, Auntie. Well um, tell mom that everything's okay. I'm trying out to be a State Alchemist. Lys caught me so... Tell mom I'm in Central now and staying at the Hughes Residence." Lizzie responded with a sigh.

"I'll be sure to tell her. Is there anything else dear?" Auntie Rose asked. Another pause...

"No. Nothing. I guess I'll call you some other time." Lizzie replied, slightly disappointed.

"Well, all right sweetie. Bye. Oh Lizzie! If you see Ray, tell him that I say hi." Auntie Rose said.

"Will do. Bye Auntie." Lizzie said, placing the phone back on the receiver. She waited for a few moments, and then picked the phone up, dialing the Tucker's phone number. There was a short ring, and the person on the other end sounded like Lys.

"Tucker Residence. Alyssa Elric speaking."

"Hey, Lys, it's me."

"Lizzie! Where are you?"

"Sorry sis, I'm going to be staying at the Hughes residence until the exams and such are done." Lizzie replied, but was puzzled when there wasn't an answer on the other end. "Lys? You there?"

"... Sis, do you not like me?" Short silence...

"What are you talking about Lys? Of course I like you!"

"It doesn't seem like you do. You're so wrapped up in leaving to find dad. **Without** me. Wherever I am now, you seem to just want to leave."

"Lys, is that what you really think?!"

"Well it looks that way right now. You couldn't even come with me to Central! You wanted to leave when _I_ **got there**! And now you don't even want to be in the same house that I'm in!" Lys practically roared. Lizzie grew very silent. She felt something get stuck in her throat, mouth growing dry. Was she really treating Lys like something to be pushed aside? What kind of sister was she? It was all his fault, it had to be his fault! But... it wasn't... It was her fault, and nothing could change that sickening fact.

"... I'm sorry, Lys." Lizzie was finally able to say. "Good luck with the exam there... Study hard." Lizzie added, hanging up abruptly right after that. Lizzie stared at the phone for a moment, realizing tears started to fall.

"Lizzie? Is everything all right in there?" Gracia called.

"Y-yeah! Everything's fine!" Lizzie called back, voice wavering slightly. Holding back some tears, she closed her eyes and tried to take some deep breaths to calm herself down. When she opened her eyes, she saw Elicia standing in the doorway, a concerned look on her face.

"Is something wrong, Liz?" Elicia asked.

"N-no. Just got some damn dust in my eyes.." Lizzie replied stubbornly. Elicia walked over to Lizzie, looking down at her friend.

"Please, tell me. Did something bad happen over the phone? Bad news?" Elicia asked.

"It's nothin'. Just got in a sister fight, nothing special." Lizzie replied bluntly. Elicia knew this wasn't true at all, and gave Lizzie a hug.

"You know... it's okay, to cry I mean. You can tell me what's on your mind." Elicia said calmly. Lizzie didn't know what to say... Elicia was like a mom to her... a second mom that is. Was that why this house was so, so easy for her to fall in love with? The family, everyone here was so nice.

"My sister... It's because of me wanting to find dad that she thinks I hate her. I mean, she brought it good points too and I, I don't want her to be mad at me. I didn't really think my actions were so rash... I mean, I want to apologize again over and over but I can't and... I don't want to lose my sister too because I've lost dad, I've lost great grandma, what else am I going to lose?" Lizzie explained in a rush as tears ran down her face.

"Ssssh. It's okay. You don't always have to be brave with these kinds of situations. It's always better to let go, and get stuff off your mind. My dad used to say that a lot, maybe that's why he was a good family man." Elicia said with a smile.

"Th-thanks.." Lizzie stuttered with a sniffle. Elicia looked into her Lizzie's eyes.

"Do you maybe, want to go back to Tucker Mansion?" Elicia suggested.

"No. Here is fine. I feel much more,... Comfortable here for some reason.. Besides, I think Lys and I should just cool down and stuff before the exams." Lizzie replied with a smile. As Elicia nodded, she showed Lizzie to the small library they owned. Lizzie was amazed at how many alchemy books were here, and dove right in to them. Maybe the alchemy exam wouldn't be as bad as it seemed.

T-U-C-K-E-R--M-A-N-S-I-O-N

Lys stood there, silent and as still as a rock. The phone was in her hand, the stupid errrrrrrrrrrr noise continued until she finally placed the phone down. Had her sister really meant that she was sorry? Was that it? Gosh, ever since her obsession with dad, it had become nothing but going here, going there, run around here, run around there.

"Lyssy? What's wrong?" Sarah asked as she hugged Alex's fur.

"N-nothing... Lizzie and I just got into a fight, that's all." Lys replied with a sad smile.

"Huccum your sister isn't as fun as you?" Sarah asked.

"My sister's fun,... she can just be, more concerned and open eyed than me." Lys tried to explain.

"Open...Eyed?" Sarah asked, confused.

"She sees the world different than I do." Lys responded with a chuckle. Sarah only nodded silently, not fully understanding. To be truthful, Lys didn't really quite understand herself. As she finally shrugged it off, she dove into her alchemy books, ready to learn more as the exam drew closer and closer... Besides, the two siblings only had about 6 more days until the Alchemy Exam. And hopefully, both of them would pass on becoming State Alchemists.

E-N-D--O-F--C-H-A-P-T-E-R--4

Me: okay. wow aren't u glad u were able to finish the chapter:3

Lizzie: u really went overboard, huh?

Me: ... Guess I did heh.

Elicia: i thought it was a good chapter! i was in it a lot!

Me: Good for u!

Lizzie: -rolls eyes playfully with a smile-

Me: anyways! yes, chapter 4 has ended. and chapter 5 will soon be here! chapter 5, i will tell u, is 17 pgs long... like how chapter 1 was. also, it's basically going to revolve around a key event, and also the alchemy exam. again, i'm sorry for this chapter being so long. anyways, please, i hope u liked the chapter and find it in the good of ur lovely hearts (please? D) to send me a review! o yea one quick question. when ed was 15, how tall was he? like, wasn't he 5'4"? or was it 5'3"... or maybe it was 5'5" but i think that's just pushing it lol. just wondering! since liz is just one age above. and all... if u can tell me in a review, i'd gladly appreciate it! -Sil


	5. The 1st Trial for the Elrics

A/N: okay! this chapter, lol yes it is 18 pgs... I'm sorry! skim if u must, but if u do be sure to read the parts where Liz, Lys, Sarah, etc are at the Tucker Mansion during the evening. a key event that plays a major role in this story. anyways, i hope u like this chapter, and thank u for sticking with this story! again, please R&R.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own FullMetal Alchemist. I heart Roy!

**Chapter 5: The 1st Trial For The Elrics**

Lizzie rolled from the bed she was sleeping in, suddenly falling onto the cold ground with a thud. "Ugh...ouch." she muttered to herself, blowing some bangs out of her face. She got up lazily, and tied her hair in a braid. It had been 5 days since she first came to the Hughes Residence, and for those 5 days it was like she was really experiencing family time... Every morning Elicia would have to leave, but still said goodbye at least. Gracia would always make something, whether it would be a pie, or cookies, or anything homemade. Of course, Lizzie helped out with making food too.

Lizzie yawned, looking at herself in the mirror once. It wasn't that she didn't think her family didn't have family time... she just felt that sometimes she wanted a full family. Even though Gracia and Elicia lost Mr. Hughes, they still shared a close bond and acted like a true family. With her and Lys and Mom and Auntie... she just thought that they didn't have enough family time. Was it selfish to be thinking that?

"Lizzie! It's time for breakfast." Gracia called.

"I'm coming Miss Hughes!" Lizzie called back as she got on her clothes. She put her pocketwatch necklace on as well, as her red coat. As Lizzie trudged downstairs, she saw Elicia!

"Hey Liz. Fuhrer said I could take a break today. After all, tommorow's the exams. Think you'll do well?" Elicia asked, passing the butter to Lizzie as she had some pancakes on her plate.

"Hm... I dunno. I actually hope I do well. The main reason why I wanna be a State Alchemist now is a) Lys and b) to be under Mustang's jurisdiction, and get his permission for my own special mission from him to find my father." Lizzie replied. She felt so open nowadays with the Hughes, that anything she said here didn't even phase her. Also, throughout her studies, Elicia was like her new older sister, putting off pressure that Lizzie had. Since Lizzie had always been the oldest sibling, she felt she had to be more open to the world, and realize that some things were meant to be seen with open eyes. But when she was with Elicia, she felt more calm and relaxed, like she could be a real kid instead of a kid pretending to be like an adult.

"I see. Well, I hope you'll succeed. You do realize that after the alchemy exam, if you pass you're going to have to show your work as an alchemist." Elicia said calmly.

"Yup. I know, and I've already figured out what I'm going to do. I'm going to make a statue of both my father and also my uncle. My mom used to tell me about uncle, and how he was always in a cool suit of armor. So I gathered some armor books to see what armor looked great. And the one I found was the exact same one Uncle Al was using. So hopefully, it'll be great... I wonder what Lys is going to do." Lizzie said, taking a bite from her eggs.

"No matter what, I'm sure both of you will be doing fine." Gracia replied with a smile as she set down a jug of milk. Lizzie grabbed it and poured some into her glass, then giving it to Elicia.

"You really do like milk, huh Liz?" Elicia said with a laugh.

"You bet! It's going to make me grow someday!" Lizzie replied with a grin.

"How tall are you now?" Gracia asked curiously.

"Ummmm..." Lizzie started, and then rushed to the Hughes's bathroom. She carefully stepped onto the height measurer, making sure everything was aligned and such. Once it was done, her eyes lit up as she rushed back down with a big grin on her face. "I'm 5'7!" Lizzie replied happily. _'Ha! Take that dad! I'm taller than you were!'_ Lizzie thought in the back of her mind.

"Well well, just goes to show what milk can do for a growing girl like yourself." Gracia commented and Lizzie laughed. As the morning continued, it was time for Lizzie to hit the books again. But this time, it was different. This time, Elicia wanted to have a talk with Lizzie. The two decided to go for a walk again, and it was during that walk that Lizzie would receive some news that she had already heard... But also, it would give her more information as to where her father could be.

T-U-C-K-E-R--M-A-N-S-I-O-N

Lys woke happily to the voices of Sarah and Alex. She bounded down the stairs, seeing the table set for breakfast. Lys still couldn't believe it had been 5 days, and tommorow was the exam. Lys had studied hard, she knew that. With little time to play with Sarah and Alex, she studied nonstop and it was like her intelligence went to 100!

"Say Lyssy. Do you think you're ready for the exam?" Sarah asked as she gave Alex some of her toast.

"Hm. I hope I am! Will you be cheering me on from the sidelines?" Lys asked and Sarah nodded.

"You bet! I wanna know what your name is going to be!" Sarah added. Lys laughed.

"I hope it's something amazing and cool!" she said with a smile. Lys looked out the window now, sighing slightly. It had been 5 days since she hadn't had anymore contact with her sister... That last message Lizzie sent to her hit her hard... Maybe Lizzie was really sorry, not realizing the damage she was inflicting on her little sister. Lys would make sure that she'd see Lizzie off if it was the last thing she would do.

"Lyssy! Since you know everything, will you take a day off with me and Alex to go and play?" Sarah asked. Lys nodded with a smile, and the three walked off. Nina watched from a distance, a smile on her face. She had hoped her books on alchemy would help Lys become a State Alchemist. Still, she was still very interested in Lizzie... looking so much like...

"...Little Big Brother.." Nina mumbled under her breath. She then shut the door, going on about her daily routine..

C-E-N-T-R-A-L

Lizzie and Elicia walked down the streets of Central, still quiet as they were. Not much converastion was going on, and Lizzie thought she had done something wrong... Had she?

"Lizzie... I need to tell you something." Elicia said.

"Y-yes?" Lizzie asked with a gulp.

"Once you become a State Alchemist, and continue your journey to find your father, where are you going to be heading after this?" Elicia asked.

"To Lior. After Lior I'll go to Xenotime, and after Xenotime I'm heading to Rush Valley and Dublith... Why do you ask?" Lizzie asked curiously. Elicia turned to Lizzie, handing her a dagger.

"You'll want to be careful in Xenotime. A rebellion broke out there some few months ago, and the military here has been battling against the rebels. To be truthful, the influence your dad put on the people could have been a huge start for the rebellion to start, so Xenotime will be your worst enemy possible if they know you're an Elric. I can't tell you that it will be a safe journey as you travel there. It might not even be a smooth trail to get to Lior. I wish you luck with that, and I want you to keep this. So you won't forget me." Elicia said with a smile. Lizzie felt her mouth go dry again.

"Is that.. what you wanted to talk to me about, Elicia?" Lizzie asked, taking the dagger from her friend. Elicia nodded with a smile.

"I just want you to be safe. You're my friend, it's been a long time since I've had any friends. So don't be a stubborn brat, okay?" Elicia joked, and Lizzie nodded with a grin. As the two kept walking, they ran into Lys, Sarah, and Alex.

"H-Hey...Sis. How've you been?" Lys asked with a smile. Lizzie, just kept her mouth open and her eyes wide in disbelief.

Full-----Metal-----Alchemist

Lizzie felt overjoyed right about now, seeing her sister. Though it had been a couple of days, it should be celebrated happily!

"Hey... Lys. I've been well. Studying hard for the exam... You?" Lizzie asked. She felt it so strange that it was so hard to strike up a conversation with her sister.

"Same here really.. Are you ready for it?" Lys asked, a smile crossed her lips.

"Yeah." Lizzie replied, slowly walking over to her sister. Finally, when the two were at least an inch before eachother, Lizzie gave her little sister a hug. She felt a sister moment happen, but didn't show a sign of anything too dramatic.

"So I'm guessin' we're-"

"Yup. You guessed correct. Look, I'm sorry but you got things wrong. I just don't want you to get hurt, that's all." Lizzie tried to explain the best way she could. Lys smiled with a nod of understanding. Both Sarah and Alex yawned while Elicia smiled in the distance.

"Well you three, I had better get going. Lizzie, good luck with the exam. You can stay at Central tonight, both of you. I have Fuhrer's permission." Elicia said with a wave, as she walked back home. Lizzie smiled, and looked as Elicia walked away.

"Thanks a lot Elicia! I hope we see eachother real soon! Take care! Tell your mom I said goodbye!" Lizzie said with a wave. Elicia just raised her hand, and continued walking. Lizzie smiled, and then turned to her sister, and also to Sarah.

"Wanna... join us? Sarah and I were thinking of going to the park." Lys said.

"The park sounds nice. I could use a good day off." Lizzie said with a grin. As the four walked down the streets, it seemed that the amends between the two sisters were more than they could chew. Things were better than all right, they were much better...

Throughout the whole day, Lizzie spent it all with her sister and with Sarah. Maybe being with little kids wasn't as bad as she thought it was. Besides, this was her first time hanging out with the little people as she called it. She even seemed to make peace with Sarah and become her friend. As night fell, Sarah was fast asleep on Lizzie's back.

"So what're we going to do? Stay at Miss Tucker's Mansion? Or go to Central?" Lys asked her sister.

"Well.. where do you wanna sleep tonight Lys?" Lizzie asked.

"Well... I don't wanna leave Sarah tommorow. I mean, she's going to come with us to the exams. She'll be waiting outside. I wanna stay at the Mansion." Lys said. Lizzie smiled, ruffling her little sister's hair for a moment.

"All right. That's where we'll stay." Lizzie said and Lys could sense that Lizzie had no regrets at all for this, and smiled in triumph as she tried to contain her excitement. As they reached Tucker Mansion, the two put Sarah in her bed and finally they fell asleep together. Sisters always stayed together...

Next-----Morning

Lizzie awoke to see that her sister was already out of bed, and that the door was open a crack. So, morning had come so quickly... and today was the day for the alchemy exam. _'Oh joy. Let's hope my studying did the trick. I can't believe I'm actually saying this... but maybe becoming a dog of the military is a good thing... Who knows.'_ Lizzie thought to herself as she got up lazily, her hair all stuck out. She yawned, and walked down the stairs to be greeted by Alex who jumped on top of her.

"Ah!... Hey, Alex..." Lizzie said with a groan. She didn't know why, but this dog sure had a weird affection for her. Pouncing on her was like his fun. As she got up uneasily, she walked into the kitchen to see Sarah and Lys already done with breakfast. _'So much for a family breakfast...'_ Already Lizzie felt like she missed the Hughes all too much.

"Hey Sis. You're finally up. The exams are going to start in two hours. Better eat up before we have to go! And get dressed while you're at it. And blah blah blah blah-..." Lizzie blocked out her sister's noisy chatter. She sounded just like mom now... _'Mom... Where are you? Are you still at home? Or somewhere else?'_ Lizzie wondered. Even though Auntie Rose told her she was 'out', Lizzie had a feeling that mom wasn't just going to the market... No, she was travelling too, but where?

"Lizz?" Sarah asked, clutching to Lizzie's pant leg.

"Hngh? Yeah, Sarah?" Lizzie asked, placing Sarah on her knee.

"Um... Here." Sarah said, and handed Lizzie a drawing. It was of all of them, all laughing and smiling together.

"Aww. Thanks Sarah, I'll treasure it." Lizzie said with a grin, placing the picture neatly in her pocket. Sarah giggled as she received a tickle from Lizzie, and then walked over to Alex who panted with a sausage in his mouth. Lizzie smiled, and ate her breakfast in about five minutes tops.

"Whoa! Sis... If you had a sin yours would be GLUTTONY." Lys said. Lizzie blushed.

"What? I have a big apetite. So what? I bet you anythin' dad had a big apetite too." Lizzie laughed.

"Hehe. You just compared yourself to dad." Lys said with a laugh. Lizzie narrowed her eyes for a moment, and playfully tackled her sister.

"Your point? Maybe I like the fact that I eat a lot! Shows how much strength I'm gonna have when I grow up!" Lizzie said.

"More like FAT." Lys said and the two sisters laughed. Sarah joined in by jumping on the siblings. The three laughed together, and finally when Lizzie was dressed and ready to go, the four were ready to leave.

"Wish us luck Miss Nina!" Lys said with a wave. Nina waved back, and then paused for a moment.

"Lizzie, please would you, stay for a while? It won't be long." Nina asked.

"Sure, Miss Nina." Lizzie replied simply, staying behind.

"Lizz, don't take long mmkay?" Sarah said and Lizzie nodded with a laugh, waving as she watched her sister and Sarah walk off. A few seconds past before Nina spoke.

"Lizzie, you know about me, don't you?" Nina asked. Lizzie seemed frozen for a moment. Did Nina mean... that she knew about Nina's past, including being turned into a chimera?

"Wh..what do you mean?" Lizzie asked, uncertain. Nina smiled slightly, and then turned to look out the window.

"That you know... about my past, and about the real Nina." Nina said silently. Lizzie turned to Nina slightly, a small nervous look on her face.

"Y-yeah... I do know, actually... Dad had a journal that told me about it... Why are you asking me this?" Lizzie asked.

"You just reminded me of your father... I just thought, that maybe you had a right to know." Nina replied shortly. Lizzie nodded slightly, gulping silently. Nina then turned to Lizzie, that smile on her face. "Well, you had better get going. The exams are about to start. Don't want to be late." she said with a smile, and Lizzie nodded silently as she walked out the door, finally bounding down the street. Nina, with her smile on her face, decided it was time to continue her work... She quietly slipped to her basement, the same basement where her father first transmuted her... It was time she did some more research herself...

E-X-A-M--P-L-A-C-E

Lizzie bolted down the street, seeing Central's place for the exams right ahead. She was almost there, panting for breath. She saw Sarah who was waiting patiently with Alex right by her side.

"Hi Sarah wish me luck bye!" Lizzie called as she rushed past.

"Good luck Ane-sama!!!" Sarah called. Lizzie whirled around, shocked for a moment and flattered. Did Sarah just call her... She smiled, and then waved.

"Thanks, Onee-chan!" she said as she entered the room. Outside, Sarah blushed with a big grin on her face.

As Lizzie entered the room, she saw almost everyone; including the Fuhrer, stare at her. She gulped, and walked silently down the steps, searching for her sister.

"You're late, alchemist. 5 points off your exam. Let's just hope you studied hard enough." the Fuhrer said roughly. Lizzie gave him a stare.

"What?! 5 points off?!" she yelled angrily, her burning golden eyes staring into that of the Fuhrer's. And to think that she had actually considered to respect the Fuhrer. Hearing so much about him, she actually kind of admired him. This just crushed that admiration and respect completely... okay, overexaggeration. After all, there was that saying, everyone deserves a second chance.

"Fine. 10 points, and you had better know when it's time to shut up." the Fuhrer said angrily, a vein popped. Lizzie had an eye twitch and a vein pop as well. _'So much for the second chance.'_ she thought to herself with an angry grin. Lizzie mumbled to herself as she sat down beside her sister when she found her. As everyone seemed to be there, the Fuhrer stood. "Well now, I see that we have many skilled alchemists here. Let the exams begin, and good luck." he said with a quick speech, and then sat down as the exams were passed out.

3-----hours-----later

Lizzie had finished her exam about two hours ago, and began to become very bored. Only once in a while did she look up to see who was with the Fuhrer. Now that she got a better look at the Fuhrer, he looked just like that pretty boy Leo. Except, the Fuhrer now had his hair a little longer with a patch across his left eye; they were a blue color. Beside him was Miss Riza, Uncle Armstrong, and Breda. Finally, she saw the Fuhrer rise from his seat. He snapped, and a huge spark filled the room. Once it caught everyone's attention, he smiled.

"Time's up. The results will be here tommorow on the bulletin board at Central HQ. Be here at least by 6 to see your results. We'll begin the alchemy skill test the next day then at 12. That way, all of you alchemists who pass will have a day to prepare for the events to come. Be sure to make marvelous creations, because I as hell know that I won't pass you without you putting on a good show for me." he said with a smile. The room fell silent for a moment, and some alchemists including Lizzie seemed pissed at his attitude. Finally, the Fuhrer laughed, clapping for congratulations for the alchemists.

"I'll say it here and now. Congratulations to all of you alchemists for making it this far, and if you pass then good luck at the alchemy skill trial!" he said wit ha wave and sent them all off. Everyone seemed to have a low sigh, and slowly walked off to where people were waiting for them; if any that is.

Lizzie and Lys walked outside quietly, seeing Alex and Sarah finally walk up to them.

"Well? How did you do?" Sarah asked them curiuosly while Alex barked happily. Lizzie stretched with a grin on her face while Lys seemed to be in total dismay.

"I think I passed with flying colors. What about you sis?" Lizzie asked, turning to Lys with a grin. Lys seemed mortified, dark lines under her eyes.

"I have no clue.. and I really don't want to find out!" Lys said with a grimacing sigh. Both Lizzie and Sarah laughed, giving Lys a tackle to the ground.

"Come on Lys, give yourself some more credit here! I mean, you studied so hard of course you'll pass!" Lizzie said with a grin.

"Really? You think? I hope... but now we have the trial to worry about! I still have no clue what to do for it! We're going to have to show something amazing to get in! The Fuhrer even said so..." Lys replied sadly.

"Hey! Chin up Lys, you'll think of something don't worry. Now c'mon, let's go out for lunch. I'm starving, and it's already 12:30!" Lizzie said, taking her sister and Sarah by the hand as she rushed them out to a nice place to stop for a light lunch. As they all ran off, a man in Central's HQ fortress stared down at the two sisters, a smile on his face.

"So. The Elric siblings passed the first test of this alchemy trial. Let's see if they can become the top dogs around here during the alchemy test." the man said, his voice low and deep, a glint appearing in his eye. He snapped once, a small flame flickered once. "If they do become top dogs, I'm going to be the one that they are under jurisdiction. I might be Fuhrer, but I can still have those under my support and mine alone." Mustang said with a smirk.

T-U-C-K-E-R--M-A-N-S-I-O-N

The Tucker Mansion was silent when the girls were out... Nina was in the basement most of the time... Even before Sarah was born, she was in that basement... Some of her father's creatures were still alive, after all these years; but slowly decaying, and dying left from right... How long had it been since Nina remembered everything that had happened to her? That's right... it was when she was 16.. Her sweet 16,.. that was when all of the memories came rushing back to her. The time when her mother left the family forever... When daddy became a State Alchemist, when she was just a little girl; alone with just her dog Alexander, when both Big Brother and Little Big Brother came to visit her, and finally the dispicable truth that she had become another one of her father's experiments.

"Equivalent Exchange.. hmph. How much can one offer to have those that they love back? Their life? What kind of cruel exchange is that.." Nina said to herself. That's right... she wasn't really the _real_ Nina, was she? No... She was the vessel, and the true Nina's soul was within her. So how could she call herself Nina Tucker, when really she was just a shell of the true Nina within? _'Don't worry, daddy. I'll bring you back, and then we'll all be a happy family again. You, me, mom, Sarah... yes, we'll all be happy.'_ Nina thought to herself, continuing her private alchemy studies; and ways to bring her father back to the world of alchemy.

That-----Evening

All three girls and Alex entered the Mansion, smelling a nice scent of food coming from the kitchen. As the three entered the kitchen, their lips smacked as they saw a whole dinner layed out for them. A lone note could be seen on the unlit candlelight. Lizzie picked it up, and read it aloud.

"Sarah. Mother has a lot to do tonight again, I'm sorry I can't join you for dinner... Please, help yourself to whatever you like. I prepared this meal especially for you, Lizzie, and Lys. I hope you girls did well on your exams. I can't wait for you to tell me the results tommorow. Nina." Lizzie read, and then looked at Sarah who had a small frown on her face.

"Sarah? Are you okay?" Lys asked.

"...Y-yeah. I'm fine 'course! Mommy always has work to do anyways, it's nothing new really.." Sarah replied solemnly, Alex whining slightly. Lizzie looked at the poor girl, and then to the food. She then grinned happily, plopping Sarah into her seat.

"Well, the food's not gonna be eaten all by itself. You guys are going to help me finish it off once and for all!" Lizzie joked with a wink, and the three nodded happily. (About 2 hours later) Everyone had finished their meal about an hour and a half later once everything was laid out. Once the food was done, the girls decided it would be a good deed to do the dishes, and so the work began. Lizzie was in charge of washing the dishes and putting them into the tray for drying, Lys was the one who would dry the dishes and put them away, while Sarah was in charge of taking the dishes from the table to Lizzie to give them to Lys and so on.

"Reminds you of home, doesn't it Sis?" Lys asked.

"Yeah. Mom and I always used to do dishes together. I wonder where she is." Lizzie replied. Lys stopped for a moment and put the glass down.

"What're you talking about? Mom's home, isn't she?" Lys asked, worried.

"I'm not really sure.." Lizzie replied, letting her guard down. Normally, Lizzie would keep the news to herself, not wanting to alarm her little sister. But now she felt more open, and that was what might make Lys scream. Well, not scream, but wonder.

"Is she okay?!" Lys asked. Lizzie turned to her sister, and smiled.

"I'm sure she is. See, I called home and Auntie told me that Mom was out, so maybe she was just out to the grocery store or something. I dunno I just felt that Auntie meant that Mom was away somewhere, that she was travelling somewhere.. I just don't know where exactly that Mom would go." Lizzie replied simply with a shrug. Lys looked at her sister skeptically, and then just continued to put away the dishes. It took a while, but after all three of them were finished with their long chore, Lys decided to go put Sarah to sleep and all. Lizzie decided to wait, and walked around the house for a moment. As Lizzie waited, she heard a strange noise coming from the basement.. Curious, she decided to snoop to see what was going on.

Lizzie crept down to the basement, stopping shortly when she heard a choking wheezing yell coming from a...cage.. She peered inside as she slowly crept toward the cage, seeing two beedy red eyes staring at her. Once Lizzie finally came to the cage, she was face to face with a chimera.. It was deformed, bony, thin, and most of all; it was dying. The chimera squawked again at her, and she leapt away, only to see a bright light coming from the room in the back. She heard sizzling noises come from the room, and peeked inside to see...

"Oh God, please let this work!" Nina muttered under her breath, placing her hands on the circle. Her other attempts had all been failures, lost causes to regain contact with her father who was lost forever... But no, she wouldn't give up, not just yet. The circle glowed, and the bin which contained remains of her dearly departed glowed, swirling, creating a deformed chimera; dying shortly after birth. Nina groaned slightly, coughing. She started transforming into something... a dog. Her hair grew long to become a tail, skin became fur, hands and feet becoming huge paws.

"Oh my...God.." Lizzie muttered to herself, eyes wide in horror, backing away slightly from the sight. She heard the chimera cry out in agony, talking and muttering to itself.

"Nwo... Whhy can't I bwring back D-Daddy?" the chimera whined to itself, slowly walking over to the deceased chimera. Touching it with it's own snout, the chimera regained control, turning back into her human form. Lizzie watched in amazement as Nina slowly walked back to her desk, flipping through pages of an alchemy book. Lizzie immediately ran upstairs silently and swiftly, her eyes still widened with suprise. What kind of hell did Nina live through? What kind of... curse did she have that made the sweet and polite woman during day become a weak, fragile, and helpless creature by night?

As Lizzie made it upstairs, she made sure to shut the door silently, making sure no one would have wandering eyes (mainly Lys) to go down there. She rounded the corner, and practically screamed out of suprise when Lys snuck up on her.

"Hey!" Lys said happily, and then looked at her sister, concerned. "Sis? You okay? You look really pale..." Lys said.

"I'm fine." Lizzie replied stubbornly. Lys smiled with a grin, and then stretched with a yawn.

"Let's get some shut eye. I came back down to get you. We need good rest for tommorow, gotta wake up at 6 to see our results." Lys said, patting her sister on the back. Lizzie smiled weakly, agreeing with her sister. As she and Lys walked upstairs, Lizzie had a nervous feeling about all she had just witnessed... What if Nina went too far and gave her own life up? What would happen to her? What would happen to the thing she would bring back? And more importantly... what would happen to Sarah?

Next------Morning

Lizzie awoke in a blur, seeing her sister shake her rapidly. She at first hit Lys with her pillow, begging to go back to bed until Lys gave her a smack.

"Wake up now Sis! It's 5:40! We'd better get there before a crowd appears!" Lys said, tapping her sister lightly now. Lizzie groaned.

"Okay okay... Hey wait, why don't you go ahead and see if we both got in? That way I can sleep!" Lizzie replied angrily, placing the pillow over her head.

"No way! You're gonna suffer with me by waking up at this hour! Now come on and get dressed!" Lys urged and Lizzie reluctantly agreed. As the two sisters bounded out the door silently, they walked groggily to the Central HQ. When they got there, they saw only few alchemists already arriving.

"Good! We're early now let's see our results and leave." Lizzie said as the two sisters rushed up. They saw a lot of alchemists disappointed, some even crying when they saw their results. As the two sisters waited in line, when their turn finally came they were so nervous. As Lizzie looked up and down the rows, Lys had her eyes shut.

"Hm.. Hey Lys, you passed with a 92 percent!" Lizzie said and congratulated Lys as she jumped up and down.

"What about you Sis?!" Lys asked curiously. Lizzie looked up and down the columns, and finally found her name. Smiling slightly, she saw her grade.

"Well whaddaya know. 90." Lizzie said with a grin and Lys hugged her sister. Lizzie just realized, she probably would have gotten 100, if it wasn't for her "talking back" problem.

"Congrats! Now c'mon, we need to practice for the alchemy skills trial!" Lys said, practically grabbed her sister by the arm, and rushed the two out back to the Tucker Mansion.

"Hey! Slow down! Lyss!" Lizzie whined, wishing she could just go to bed for a few more minutes.. maybe about three more hours at least.. _'Man! I just wanted to SLEEP TODAY! Can this day be even more aggrivating and irritating?!'_ Lizzie thought to herself, but couldn't help laugh to herself as Lys was so full of hyperness in the morning. The next thing she knew, was that she fell to the ground with a thud when her sister rebounded off a person they had run into.

"Owch! Lizzie, you okay?" Lys asked. Lizzie nodded, grimacing for a moment, and then looked up. Ooooh, why'd she have to go open her big mouth? There in front of them, was Leo.

"Well well. Looks like the Elric siblings passed. How _wonderful_." he said dryly and sarcastically, a glint appearing in his eyes. This boy really got on Lizzie's nerves. And it was time that he learned a lesson that he would never forget, especially when it came from Elizabeth Elric. Wait, did she just commit herself to pick a fight with the Fuhrer's son?!

E-N-D--O-F--C-H-A-P-T-E-R--5

Me: Fight fight fight fight!  
Lizzie: Time to open up a can of WHOOP ASS on this guy!

Leo: oh please. I could kill you with a gun.

Me and Lizzie: o.O You wouldn't dare.

Leo: Try me.

Lizzie: Using guns isn't fair! And you'd be under arrest if you really shot me!

Leo: ... Damn, you got me. Okay I won't _kill _you, just beat the snot out of you. -smirk-

Lizzie: Oh you are so in for it!

Me: okay that was the end of chapter 5! wow this Central Saga is really gettin goin lol i didn't think it'd be that long (thinks of how long the Lior saga might be: it probably won't be as long as the Central Saga is). anyways, chapter 6 is on it's way! lets see if the girls have what it takes to become state alchemists as they train themselves to see what they can do! What spectacular and magnificent things will they make to try and pass with flying colors?! Next time: **Alchemy's Limitations **(okay, so the title is kinda sucky but lol it's when they're training so yea!) o yes, one more thing i'd like at least 4 reviews plzz!! 3's okay too ;) -Silver


	6. Alchemys Limitations

A/N: okay! here's chapter 6, and i will say it is just slightly a little longer than chapt. 5... anyways, i hope you all still like my story, and thanks for sticking with it all u alchemists out there. also lol, i definately showed off lizzie and her alchemy, and also lys with hers... but mostly lizzie lol. Please R&R.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. I heart Al!

**Chapter 6: Alchemy's Limitations **

Lizzie couldn't believe this! The second time she ran into this jerk! It was official, she hated: HATED all of the Mustang's except for Miss Riza, she was nice.

"Damn right we passed! I bet anyone could pass that damn test anyday!" Lizzie said angrily. Lys blushed as she looked down at the ground, fiddling with her fingers. Lizzie noticed her sister's actions, and gave her a small playful nudge. Leo noticed as well, raising a brow slightly. Ignoring Lys for a moment, he took out a paper and looked it over.

"About 200 people signed up for the exams. Out of those 200, only 22 passed. Right. It's _very_ _easy_ to pass the test." Leo said in his smartass tone. Lizzie gulped before muttering under her breath.

"Get to the point. What do you want?" Lizzie snapped. Leo laughed slightly.

"Maybe I just came over to congratulate you. Or maybe-"

"Maybe he just came to beat the crap out of you." another smartass voice called. The two siblings saw Leo's older sister Ren ruffle up her little brother's hair.

"Ren... what the hell do you want?" Lizzie seethed. Lys seemed to be looking mostly at Leo, but had a quick glance at Ren.

"Heard from father that you passed. Well done, but he'll never pass a twerp like you." Ren cooed as she ruffled up her brother's hair a little more.

"Ren! Knock it off will ya?! You don't know why I came over here!" Leo defended himself angrily.

"Oh! So Little Brother finally decided to show some backbone!" Ren challenged and Leo angrily muttered under his breath. Lizzie decided now was the time to get away from the two troublesome siblings.

"Lys and I need to get going and train for the exam. Later." she said as she led Lys down the steps.

"Oho! Afraid to get your ass kicked by my little brother now, are we?" Ren called evily, fox ears appearing quickly; disappearing when Lizzie whirled around.

"I don't have time to fight weaklings like your brother! Besides, I could easily kick his ass!" Lizzie called back, a vein popping slightly.

"Hey! I'm ten times stronger than you! Besides, you're just a girl what damage could you _possibly_ do?!" Leo called back angrily. That was it, Lizzie had it. She was tired, it was about 6:10 a.m, she was aggrivated and hungry, and now PISSED OFF.

"You want a fight? I'll give you a fight." Lizzie said, taking off her jacket and throwing it to the side. Lys caught it, and watched with a gulp. And so the fight began. There was a short silence before the fighting truly began. Leo and Lizzie just had a stare off, nothing special. It was only when Ren gave Leo a push that Lizzie went in, using her quick speed. She immediately rushed up to Leo and gave him a kick to the side, punch to the face, jab to the right. He went down quickly.

"Damnit! That was cheating! I wasn't even prepared! Whose side are you really on Ren?!" Leo asked angrily.

"Hey! Prove to that Elric that you're better than Fullmetal, and her!" Ren called back. Lizzie was even more angered now, and mostly upset. _'Why?! Why are they picking on me, just because I'm an Elric?! It's not fair! Damnit it's all his fault!'_ Lizzie screamed in the back of her mind. Angrier than ever, she charged at Leo and tackled him to the ground, punching him furiously.

"Why the hell do you have a grudge against dad and me?! Is it because I look like him?! Is it because I'm an Elric?! IS IT BECAUSE YOU'RE JUST DAMN JEALOUS?! It's not fair to take everything out on me okay?! I hate the guy as much as you do! I HATE HIM! So just bug off and leave me the hell alone!" Lizzie roared angrily, throwing punches to Leo left and right until finally both Ren and Lys got her off. Once she was off of Leo, she shoved Ren off, swiped her jacket from Lys's arms, and ran off angrily, seeing if maybe she could go train somewhere peaceful and not interrupting.

"Leo, are you all right?" Ren asked as she helped her brother up.

"Yeah... damnit Ren, why'd you have to go and open your big mouth?" Leo asked bitterly.

"Hey, I thought you of all people wouldn't like the treatment she's been receiving at HQ. I mean, even dad is acknowledging her." Ren replied cooly, brushing herself off. Leo wiped away the blood, and went back quietly to the gun room; maybe there he could work on his aim. Why did his sister have to go and ruin everything? He really didn't expect to pick a fight with Lizzie at all. And what was worse, he **lost**.

Lys just seemed lost in her own thoughts. Had she heard right? She knew that Lizzie didn't like dad... but she hated him? She really hated him, and wished to have nothing about him?... If that was the case, then how were they even related? Lys; she realized about her father and all, but she didn't hold a grudge. She loved him anyways... but, Lizzie on the other hand; she was the exact opposite. Hating dad, wishing she wasn't related to him. It saddened her.

"I-..Is your brother going to be all right?" Lys asked softly to Ren. Ren turned to Lys, a concerned look replaced by a kind one.

"Yeah. I bet his pride is just sore." Ren replied with a wink. Lys nodded slightly, a small smile on her face.

"How come, you don't like my sister?... She's very nice once you get to know her." Lys asked.

"It's not that I hate her. She's just, ever since _she_ showed up it's been nonstop talk about her and her..well, your father and all. I mean, my dad is ten times better than yours no offense, but do they talk about him like he was a famous celebrity? Heck no, he's just the Fuhrer. I really hate that. A kid like her getting all the attention like it was nothing while my dad has to deal with it. I hate it." Ren said, arms folded across her chest.

"Still, that's not fair to my sister at all. She just wants to find our dad... To be honest, it's my fault she's still here. I pushed her to become a State Alchemist with me... She would probably be in Lior right now if I hadn'tve opened my big mouth." Lys said.

"Don't blame yourself. I just don't like the fact of attention, you know?" Ren replied and Lys nodded slightly. A silence brewed, and then Ren sighed. "How about you and I spend the day together. You need to train for the alchemy skills test right? I'll help you if you want. My name is Ren Mustang, also known as the FlamingInferno Alchemist." she said with a smirk, and Lys nodded, thanking Ren for her offer. The two went off to the training grounds, where Lys would figure out what to clearly do for the exam.

G-R-A-V-E-Y-A-R-D

Lizzie panted for breath once she got to the graveyard up top of the hill, tears still running slowly down her cheeks. She looked up to see Mr. Hughes's grave, and sulked slightly. Hm, maybe preparing for the second test of this whole alchemy thing wasn't as easy as she thought. To be honest, she really didn't know what she would do for presenting herself. What would be something cool, something amazing and exciting? She thought for a moment, and then whirled around when she heard foosteps.

"Lizzie? What are you doing here?" the voice asked.

"Oh! Elicia... hey I was just, um..." Lizzie started, wiping away some stray tears. She gave a grin, and then watched as Elicia came up to her with a questionable look.

"What happened? Is everything all right? Did you and your sister get into a fight again?" Elicia asked. Lizzie shook her head with a short smile.

"Umm, no not really Lys and I are okay. I just had a stupid runin with the Mustang siblings." Lizzie replied with a laugh.

"Oh. Ren and Leo, huh? Don't worry about them Lizzie, you're way better than them." Elicia said, giving her friend a pat on the back. Lizzie grinned nervously, and then stared down at her hands for some strange reason. Elicia raised a brow once, and then looked up to the sky for a moment.

"Worried about the alchemy skills test? Why don't you show me what you can do. What you can create." Elicia suggested, and Lizzie nodded with a grin.

"Okay. That sounds good... Let's see what I can do to pass this test!" Lizzie said with a grin on her face, clapping her hands together and placing them on the ground.

T-U-C-K-E-R--M-A-N-S-I-O-N

Sarah awoke at about 8:30, to see that both Lys and Lizzie had already left, and were probably going to come home by late evening. She silently walked into the kitchen to see her mother splitting an egg and putting it on a frying pan, taking out toast as it popped out of the toaster.

"Mommy? What's for breakfast?" Sarah asked, Alex walking over to her with a yip. Nina turned, a tired look on her face.

"I'm making breakfast right now sweetie. Eggs, ham, bacon, and toast. Sorry no fancy things today, mommy is very tired." Nina said with a smile. Sarah looked curiously at her mother before finally sitting at the table. Ever since last night, her mom seemed, different... Why was that? As Nina prepared the meal, her thoughts were mostly elsewhere. _'I'm this close to succeeding... Daddy, you will be alive, I'll make sure of it. There has to be some way, some way to retrieve a soul without giving up your life in return... If I can find out what that could be then I'll be able to bring you back. I love you Daddy, and nothing is going to stop me from bringing you home to me..'_ Nina thought, eyes trailing off from the frying pan as the eggs sizzled, suddenly black smoke began to rise from the bottom of the pan.

As Nina finally noticed the smoke, she quickly put it out and sighed heavily. Turning to Sarah, she apologized deeply for burning the eggs. Sarah was all right with that, saying she'd go out to eat at Central, perhaps to see Lys or Lizzie. Without another word, she left with Alex following close behind. Nina simply smiled, had she lost her mind? She felt like her own child deserted her... but what did it matter now? All that mattered was getting her father back.. Shou Tucker, soon, he would roam this world again as the SewingLife Alchemist.

C-E-N-T-R-A-L

Lys panted slightly, trying to get up. She felt so drained of energy now, using all of her power to try and create something amazing. Alchemy had its cost, like taking away all the energy inside your body. The best Lys could do right now was create a huge statue of the state's military symbol. It was made of pure crystal by combining water and the air together. Lys couldn't believe how much she had done in just about three hours since 8:30 was.. It was a wonder how much alchemy she could do before reaching her limit.

"Okay Lys, a word of advice. Don't overuse your alchemy powers, otherwise you'll lose points since you're so drained of energy." Ren said, giving Lys a hand. Lys thanked her with a grin nervously, and looked to see her work. She had to admit, using all the energy she had she was able to create something magnificent... But, it wasn't enough. Surely she could do better and not lose points. Maybe Ren was right, use alchemy in small quantities. Suddenly, an idea hit Lys straight on.

"I have an idea! And I think you're going to like it." she said with a grin and Ren nodded, watching as Lys was ready to perform another great alchemy creation. _'She really does have potential,.. for an Elric. If she has so much talent for this, then I wonder how that Liz kid is doing. I actually might have some competition this year if they make it as State Alchemists. After all, since dad became Fuhrer every year we have this stupid contest to see which State Alchemists can come on top.'_ Ren thought to herself. If Lys really was a true skilled alchemist, then if Lizzie passed, Ren had a big problem on her hands. _'No one is going to beat me though, I won't allow it.'_ Ren thought with a smirk, as she continued to watch Lys's alchemy at work.

G-R-A-V-E-Y-A-R-D

Lizzie smiled in satisfaction at her work before her. Elicia stared in amazement at the statue before her. In front of the two girls was a statue about 22 feet tall of a majestic dragon, the detail down the maximum. The dragons' features included a tail that if used could cause a large wind to pick up, four strong arms, whiskers of wisdom, scales detailed to the max, and a face that could put fear into anyone's soul.

"Whaddaya think? I'm thinking my State name will be something really cool." Lizzie said with a grin, her hands behind her head.

"Amazing. And you're not tired at all?" Elicia asked. Lizzie thought for a moment, and smiled again.

"Nope. I don't feel one ounce of energy leaving my body, so I think if I do that tommorow I'll be fine. Now I just gotta remember what elements I used... I used a lot huh?" Lizzie said with a wink. Lizzie's first attempt of just using the soil beneath them was a dud, although Elicia found it stunning. Lizzie's first attempt was a spear, sword, and hammer, all made from the ground. Her second attempt was creating a 4 foot tall statue of a lion, a golden color and shimmering orange eyes. too. Finally, this was her last attempt as she used some mud, water, trees, rocks, and dirt.

"Wow Lizzie. That's pretty amazing. Normally alchemists who do things like that, they're totally drained. You really have talent going for you. If you become part of the military, you could be seen as a threat!" Elicia explained with a smile.

"Really? A threat? Haha, wow." Lizzie replied sheepishly. After taking a break for a while, the two girls just stared up in the clouds, not a care in the world. Lizzie wondered what time it was, and how long they had been at this. She decided to turn to Elicia with a questionable look.

"What's up?" Elicia asked, sensing Lizzie's discomfort.

"Well.. I've been thinking and all, of what you were saying about the rebellion Elicia and, I was wondering.." Lizzie started.

"Yes?" Elicia asked nicely. There was a short pause.

"You don't think that... maybe there could be spies at Central... do you?" Lizzie asked, that cold stare that man gave her haunted her. Elicia looked at Lizzie for a moment, wide eyed.

"You think there might be a rebel at Central, posing as a military officer?" Elicia asked. Lizzie nodded silently. "Lizzie, you need to tell me now. This is very serious. The rebels could be very dangerous if armed with weapons from the military." Elicia said.

"Well he's a man about a little bit taller than me, cold eyes... a grudge always planted on his face. I couldn't tell what rank he was but..." Lizzie started, and tried to remember.

"Hm. It's okay. Once we make it back I'll report this. You've given me very useful information. Thanks." Elicia said with a kind smile. Before Lizzie could respond, the two saw a flame strip fly up into the air, dispersing into what looked like fireworks.

"Hm. Let's see what's up." Elicia suggested and Lizzie nodded as the two rushed to see where the flame occurred.

C-E-N-T-R-A-L

Lys looked in amazement up at the sky, the colors were so pretty. Ren was being really nice to her, showing her a lot of her tricks with her alchemy. It was cool to have her as a friend, especially with the 5 year age difference. Ren smiled in satisfaction at the amazed look Lys had on her face.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Ren said with a wink.

"Cool?... THAT WAS AWESOME! Wow and I thought that Sis was good! You're just.. amazing! AMAZING!" Lys exclaimed, regaining her lost energy from the transmutation, fired up to work on her show she would put on for the Fuhrer tommorow. Before Ren could answer, the two saw Elicia and Lizzie rush up to them.

"Hey Lys! How's the alchemy coming?!" Lizzie called with a wave, a broad smile on her face as they walked up to Lys and Ren.

"We saw a flame strip and then fireworks, was that your doing Ren?" Elicia asked, a brow raised. Ren blushed slightly and nodded.

"Uh-huh. So, what do you think Elicia?" Ren asked, a wide grin on her face. Lizzie saw the difference in appearance Ren showed today. _'I wonder if she and Elicia are best friends or something... Wasn't Mr. Hughes and Mustang good pals back in the day?'_ Lizzie thought as she watched the two chat like they were the best of friends.

"It was nicely done. See, I wish I had alchemy skills like you. And Lizzie. And you too Lys." Elicia said with a smile. The rest of the girls blushed. As Lizzie opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was the statue of the military's symbol.

"Whoa!!! Lys, did you... how did you.. when did you... YOU MADE THIS?! THAT'S AMAZING!" Lizzie cried in astonishment, rushing over to the statue. Wow, Lys was doing a great job at her alchemy, the statue was just like the symbol! It was amazing, the detail, structure, everything was perfect. Lizzie almost felt embarrassed, if she didn't pass and Lys did, then that would be a real embarrassment to her and her father's title. She shivered slightly, and then felt her sister's hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah I sure did! It was pretty amazing for me too. Actually Sis, before you got here I was totally drained of my energy cause of the alchemy power I had to use. If you won't steal my idea, the way I made this was from the soil, mud, water, and some bark. Pretty cool, huh?" Lys said with a wink.

"Cool? Lys this is absolutely... wow. I'm speechless. You did a great job little sister." Lizzie teased, giving Lys a knuckle sandwhich. Lys giggled, and then Lizzie turned to Ren who seemed to be enjoying the sisterly love.

"What about you Elric? What have you got to present for the alchemy skills exam?" Ren asked with a smirk. _'This girl isn't better then me. She can't, even though she was lucky enough to be the born daughter of the famous Edward.'_ Ren thought in the back of her mind.

"Hm. Well, I guess it couldn't hurt to show you what I can do." Lizzie replied with a grin. Elicia took hold of Lizzie for a moment.

"Don't you think that maybe you should rest up first?" she suggested.

"Nah I'm all good! Don't worry Elicia, I'll knock the socks off Mustang's kid. I'll show her who's top dog round here." Lizzie joked with a wink, getting the materials set. The three girls watched as Lizzie first got some water from a small stream nearby and placed it in a bucket. Next she gathered some rocks, putting them in a pile. Grabbing some dirt she let it go on to the stones. Ren seemed to be pretty annoyed and impatient, tapping her foot once in a while. She turned to Elicia who just watched.

"You don't really think she's all high and mighty, do you? I mean, sure she might be good but is she really all that she is compared to Fullmetal?" Ren asked.

"Don't underestimate her Flare. I've seen what her alchemy skills can accomplish. Just watch and be amazed. That kid's got raw talent, she could be even better than Fullmetal if she tried." Elicia replied, using Ren's nickname when they were younger. Ren kept her mouth shut after that, wishing she hadn't said anything in the first place. She really hated it when people got her attention most of the time, especially a person like Lizzie.

When the mud was finally done, she layed it down around the rocks and dirt in a circle. Then she sprinkled a little bit of water she had left around the whole area. After that, Lizzie clapped her hands and transmuted two swords for herself. Grabbing them, she turned to them with a grin.

"Be right back!" she called, and the three girls watched as Lizzie cut down two trees twice her size with just a slice of her swords. They fell with a THUD, and Lizzie dragged them back, placing them each so they created an 'X' shape. Finally, she turned to everyone. It had been a while since Lizzie had so much fun with alchemy, and actually used her skills for entertainment. "Watch and be amazed! Ready to see this, Ren?" Lizzie said, a smirk on her face. Ren gave her a frown.

"That's Flaming Inferno Alchemist to you, novice." Ren said cooly.

"Novice? You're not gonna be saying that once you see what I can do!" Lizzie responded with a laugh. Wow, she felt like such a little kid as she was so excited. It had been so long since she had this much fun with anything. She clapped her hands, and without placing them on the ground she placed them in front of her, the items began to swirl like a vortex and glow. Ren felt her mouth slowly dropping, watching this statue come alive right before her very eyes.

Lizzie smirked, a smile on her face that read, "You get what you deserve!" that shot to Ren and hit her directly in the face. At first, the dragon's base was formed, its body slithering into a spring form, its tail like a big fan with gold and red colors sprouting to life. From there, the body kept going until the first two sets of arms were made.

The claws held two orbs both blue, its strong muscular features and scales glimmering as the orbs glowed their mysterious ice blue color. Up and up the statue went until the other two claws were made, this time holding two red orbs, strong muscular features and scales shimmering as the orbs glowed their blazing golden color.

Finally, after about two more feet up the head was created, mouth open to show its vicious teeth, eyes that were blazing with integrity, whiskers to show it's intelligence and wisdom. To add the finishing touch, a shimmering glow went from the figure's neck all the way down to the tail. There it stood, the 22 foot dragon in all of its glory. Everyone looked up, speechless. Elicia smiled in satisfaction of Lizzie's work. There were a few things that were different from Lizzie's first attempt. For one, the dragons arms did not hold any orbs. Second, the tail was just a regular pointed tip one. Third, the dragon did not have spiked up hair from its neck to tail. Lizzie had truly added the finishing details. Before anyone could say anything, they heard a small voice squeal in delight.

"LIZZY! DID YOU MAKE THAT?!" Sarah squealed in delight as she ran up to the huge dragon figure that stood before her. Lizzie smiled, a few beads of sweat fell from her face.

"You bet! What do you think, Sarah?" Lizzie asked sweetly. Sarah just continued to giggle and laugh in delight at the statue.

"It's amazing! Are you going to do that during the alchemy skills test?" Sarah asked and Lizzie nodded.

"You bet!" Lizzie responded and then turned to Ren, Lys, and Elicia. "So, what did you think of it Lys? Ren?" Lizzie asked.

"Whoa... Sis I can't believe you actually..." Lys said in a mere whisper, speechless. Ren said nothing, gulping slightly at the statue that stood before them. Lizzie laughed at their expressions, and then saw Sarah pull on her pants. She held Sarah in her arms as they stood before the masterpiece before them. Elicia smiled, glad to see how far Lizzie had taken her alchemy skills. Before anyone could say anything.. the happy peace ended as a loud boom was blasted. BOOM!

Full-----Metal-----Alchemist

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM BOOM!! The loud noice continued, making all girls scream as they watched the statue before them being blown to smithereens. Lizzie held Sarah close, making sure debris or any falling pieces didn't harm the girl.

"Lizzy what's going on?! I don't like this!" Sarah screamed and cried, terribly horrified.

"It's going to be okay Sarah!" Lizzie called, ready to move as the large statue began to fall! As she stood though, her whole body froze. Eyes widened, Lizzie felt her whole body go numb just like that, her vision began to blur. _'What...What's going on?'_ Lizzie thought, beads of sweat running down her face. In an instant she dropped to the ground, eyes closed in pain as all she could do was hold Sarah close to her chest. If the statue was going to go down on them, she'd go with it, saving Sarah's life in the process.

"SIS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! GET OUT OF THERE!" Lys shouted, and then saw Ren snap her fingers as a beam of flames was able to push back the statue, letting it fall to where the attack was coming from. Lizzie wearily lifted her head to see that Ren had saved her life just in time. In an instant her vision became clearer as she urged herself up, Sarah in her arms.

"Sarah? Are you all right?" Lizzie asked calmly, looking into Sarah's scared eyes.

"I..I think... What happened, Ane-sama?" Sarah asked, trembling slightly.

"Wish I could give a good answer.." Lizzie said weakly and then turned to where the firing came from. She stared into the eyes of the man she had run into before in the hallway, the one that gave her that bad vibe. The man just stared back at her, and now had a gun in hand. Instantly Lizzie put Sarah down and clapped her hands, slapping them onto the ground, creating a shield for them all. The man fired simultaneously as the shield was made, only making small dents. He didn't like the looks of this, by now anyone anywhere in HQ could have heard his booming noise. Perhaps using a canon was a very bad idea in this case... He jumped down and headed toward them. If he was right on one thing, Lizzie had found out that he was a rebel, and that he was ready to put a stop to all of the military, including the Fuhrer himself.

"Lizzie!" Lys cried, giving her sister a hug as she wailed. "Don't ever do that to me again! What happened?!" Lys cried. Before answering, she saw Elicia get her knives out.

"We got company. He's coming.." Elicia said, ready to fight.

"Elicia.. he's the one. The rebel I just know it.. He's the guy I told you about.." Lizzie said, her breathing became rough. Elicia nodded, ready to attack. Ren got her alchemy ready, and Lizzie, Lys, and Sarah watched. As the shield began to crack and finally disappear, they saw the man run up to them with his gun. He fired, and everyone ran. Lizzie had Sarah in her arms and the sisters ran to the west while Ren and Elicia ran to the east.

"Damnit! How the hell can anyone not hear all of this commotion?!" Ren said angrily as she snapped her fingers, her flame rushing to the enemy. He easily dodged, and fired his bullets at her. It riccocheted off of Elicia's knives, another one sent straight at his throat. It missed, only giving him a cut on his shoulder.

"We've got not choice! We have to kill him now!" Elicia called back as she charged. The man ran away, surprising Elicia as he went for the sisters. "Lizzie! Lys! Sarah! Watch out he's coming for you!" Elicia called, chasing the man down with Ren right behind. Lizzie could feel every step make her whole body ache, blinking even hurt. Was this her limit with alchemy? Why'd it have to be now though? She couldn't hear right, something Elicia screamed. "Lizz...ys...rah...wat..coming..you!" was all she could make out. Did that make any sense at all? Suddenly, an awful pain hit the back of her left leg, and she collapsed as Sarah rolled off to the side of the impact. Lizzie couldn't even realize how loud she had just screamed. She looked up to see the man ready to fire again, but this time at her sister. Lizzie used her quick speed and ran to him, clapping her hands, placing them on the ground, and having the earth send her shooting upwards as she came down with a swinging kick.

"TAKE THIS! BASTARD REBEL!" she yelled at the top of her lungs as her kick collided with his neck, making everyone near her hear a sickening crack and a scream of shock and pain. The man lay on the ground, not moving after that attack. Lizzie panted as she finally slumped to the ground in pain. On top of a headache she now had, her ankle seemed pretty shot while her other senses weren't even functioning right. She opened her eyes once, seeing blurry figures surrounding her, a muffled voice calling her name. She looked up, making out her sister's and Sarah's features, gave a weak smile, and then finally conked out.

_D-R-E-A-M-I-N-G_

_Lizzie found herself in that same dream... again... She was standing in front of Uncle Alphonse who seemed to be talking to her, and she walked to the mirror and saw herself with her father's image... No. She WAS her father in this dream... It seemed that she was in her father's body when he was just two years older than her, a ponytail in the back as his bangs covered a little bit of his eyes. Lizzie wondered what her father looked like now... Suddenly, she was able to make out what Uncle Alphonse was saying._

_"Brother, do you think we should try again? To open the Door? To make it back home? We've accomplished so much here, we even found and destroyed the bomb. What's left to do here?" Uncle Alphonse asked. She could hear her own voice... well, her father's voice as she spoke as he did._

_"No Al. It's not time yet. We can't go home, __**not yet**__. We still have to study more, we need to keep trying our alchemy here... We have to before we can ever go back." she and her father said. Suddenly, the dream faded and Lizzie found herself in a whole entirely different world. She was somewhere... only the color white surrounded her. She angrily pounded her fist against the ground._

_"So that's it, huh? Dad's somewhere... but he's saying that alchemy comes before us! Did mom really lie to me?... Is dad really so important to her that she'd wait forever for him when all he cares about is stupid, stupid alchemy! Damnit! THAT BASTARD! WHY IS ALCHEMY MORE IMPORTANT TO YOU THAN US?! WHAT COULD POSSIBLY BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN FAMILY?! WHAT KIND OF FATHER ARE YOU?! EDWARD!" she screamed, tears falling from her face out of anger and despair. Suddenly, in front of her was a huge Door with strange markings and drawings on it. Lizzie walked over to it curiously, and placed a hand on the door. In an instant, it opened, and black arms grabbed onto her, dragging her deeper and deeper into the darkness the Door had inside..._

Lizzie found herself in a bed as she screamed. She shot right up, staring at the blank wall surrounding her. _'What...what the HELL was that?!'_ she thought, panting for breath, shock all over her face as beads of sweat ran down the side of her face. She looked around the room, and saw it to be very familiar. Yes, it was the Tucker Residence... As Lizzie sat up, she felt a small pain coming from her back leg. _'Damn.. Stupid rebel bastard. He got what he deserved.'_ Lizzie thought to herself and muttered under her breath. She gasped slightly in surprise as the door burst open, showing her sister with a surprised and scared look on her face.

"Lizzie? Glad you're up but what's the matter? Why did you scream? Did you have a bad dream or something?" Lys asked, concerned as she rushed to her sister's side. Lizzie closed her eyes for a moment, sucking in some air as she wiped the sweat off her face.

"It's nothin.. I'm okay now. What time is it?" Lizzie asked.

"It's 10:30 p.m. You've been out like a log for hours... Your alchemy and that injury of yours really did a number on you. Everyone went home about an hour ago.. They'll be glad that you're okay now." Lys replied sweetly, giving her sister a hug. Lizzie thought for a moment. She'd been out for so long? So much for her being invincible... Oh well, at least she knew her limits on alchemy.

"But what happened to-"

"Dead. Just like that. You really nailed him. You were right though, he was a rebel. Ren-sama and Elicia told me about the war going on." Lys replied calmly.

"_Ren-sama_? Don't tell me you have respect for her?" Lizzie said, an awe-struck look on her face.

"And you _don't_? Might I remind you she saved your life! Yours, and Sarahs!" Lys defended and Lizzie laughed.

"I realize that dobe. And I'm glad she did... I'll thank her tommorow." Lizzie said with a wave and Lys nodded with a smile. There was a short silence.

"Tommorow's the alchemy skills exam. Are you ready?" Lys asked and Lizzie nodded, feeling very prepared. Another short silence happened, and izzie sopke up.

"How was Sarah? Was she all right?" Lizzie asked.

"She was pretty shooken up, but gradually she was able to ge back on track. We had to tell Nina what happened, so there was some raised voices, tears, the usual... Sarah spent most of the day up here with you, she told me you seemed to be having a bad dream or something. Care to share?" Lys asked. Lizzie was silent, declining the offer.

"Sorry Sis, it's not worth telling anyways, it's nothing life and death threatening at least." Lizzie responded casually, and Lys nodded silently, a little disappointed. As the two sisters chatted for a little more, Lys decided it was time for them both to get some sleep again and started to walk out the room.

"Hey Lys, tell me. Do you have a crush on Leo or something?" Lizzie called and Lys whirled around.

"Wh-what would make you say that?!" Lys defended in a high pitched squeak. Lizzie just shrugged.

"Just wondering." she said simply with a playful grin. Lys blushed for a moment, and then weakly smiled at her sister.

"I think that you and he would make a great couple." she said shyly and before Lizzie could answer she shut the door quickly, running to her room. Lizzie stared for a moment with her eyes wide, a slow blush slowly crossed her face. She muttered to herself and rested her head against her pillow, angrily pouting.

"Me? And _Leo_? Oh please... that's a load of bull shit right there. Never in a million years would I have a boyfriend like _that_ guy." she said with a scoff and closed her eyes, that blush still across her face. A few minutes later, Lizzie tossed and turned in her bed, that thought still stuck in her head. _'Leo and me? A couple?... Should I even be thinking about this?! NO WAY! GOT AN EXAM TOMMOROW AND NO STUPID MALE IS GOING TO BREAK MY CONCENTRATION!'_ she thought angrily and finally made herself forcefully fall asleep, waiting for the next morning to come...

Next------Morning

Lizzie awoke to have her sister wake her up, saying that it was time to get going to the exam. Lizzie woke up groggily, put on her outfit that made her look like dad, and rushed off with Sarah, Alex, and Lys tagging along beside her. When Alex and Sarah waited for them at the sidelines, good luck was made, and the two siblings walked into the crowd, seeing a whole bunch of alchemists before them. It was now or never.

"You ready, Sis?" Lys asked, a stern look on her face as nervousness started to take over. Lizzie smiled, and ruffled up her sister's hair a bit.

"O'course! I've _been_ ready. Now let's show these wimpy alchemists what real alchemists born of the Elric bloodline can do!" Lizzie shouted happily, and the two sisters walked side by side as they entered the ring, awaiting the start of the final trial: Becoming State Alchemists.

E-N-D--O-F--C-H-A-P-T-E-R--6

Me: Phew! It's over!

Lys: Harewa (wow)... there sure are a lot of alchemists here... You really think we got what it takes?

Lizzie: You got me worryin' too!

Me: don't worry you two. I have a great idea, but for all of you alchemists out there i need ur help. here's my plan. if u do review, please tell me if u were at this state alchemy trial what would you create? since there are only 22 alchemists (including lys and liz) i am thinking of passing only... 6! so while the offer still stands, just tell me in a review (or just send me a PM) with the information of ur name, age, hair color eye color all that good stuff, and what you would create and what title you want to be given. and i will use ur idea and include u in the story! that way we all get to be state alchemists. but remember, only 6 (and if i gotta push it, 8) will pass! that's without including lys and liz, having a total of 10 ppl passing the trial! good luck alchemists, remember, ur ideas will be used and u shall be state alchemists! it's a dream come true, ain't it?

Lizzie: ...that sounds like a stupid idea.

Me: u don't have a say in this, so butt out! it's not stupid, it's genius. -sparkle- -sparkle-

Lizzie: Oh please. -rolls eyes- and what the hell is with me and leo?! i absolutely DESPISE THAT BOY AND YOU WANNA MAKE US A COUPLE?!

Me: hey! don't yell at me _Edward_ -taunts-

Lizzie: -eye twitch-

Lys: now now you two, no violence, please.

Me: -angry look- whatever. anyways, offer still stands! if ur interested, DON'T HESITATE! also, if u participate quickly, the next chapter will be updated sooner! if i don't get any interested participants, then the chapter's gonna take a while longer to update! Please leave a review ;)

Lizzie: WHACK!

Me: Owww! You just hit me! o yea, one more thing (talks as Silver is having a slapping cat fight with Liz). the next chapter will have two events going on; the last trial and also something to deal with the tucker mansion... u'll see! -Silver


	7. The 2nd Trial: Investigation

A/N: okay! another chapter. it took a little longer than expected, but i finally got everyone who wanted to participate! i thank Sweetnevermore, ukyouchrono, ukyouchrono's cousin, Bar-ohki, and Akita Fallow. I greatly appreciate it. u will be included in future chapters i will assure u of this! anyways, moving on. yes, this chapter is very very long (25 pgs to be exact.. I'm sorry!) becuz of the descriptive alchemy creations so i hope you alchemists like how i detailed everything that u told me. plz R&R to tell me how i did.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own FMA. I heart Havoc!

**Chapter 7: The 2nd Trial; Investigation**

"HOLY SHRIMP! IT'S HUMONGOUS!" Lizzie exclaimed as she saw many military officers and regular people watching.

"Y-yeah it sure is... big." Lys responded with a gulp. "Why shrimp?" Lys then asked. Lizzie just shrugged. "I dunno, I felt like saying shrimp?" Lizzie answered, and then turned to see some alchemists in a cluster, all talking about their skills and such.

"Well look who decided to show!" a voice called. Lizzie and Lys turned to see Ren coming over with her brother. The four nodded, and quietly Lizzie spoke up.

"Um, about yesterday... Thanks." Lizzie said with a mumble. Ren smirked.

"Couldn't even save your own skin back there. What kind of alchemist are you? You really should keep track of your skills and how far you can take them." Ren recommended.

"Hey! I just **thanked** you! Don't make me regret it!" Lizzie roared angrily. Ren laughed, and Lizzie didn't seem to get the joke.

"Though I will admit, you _might_ have a chance with my dad passing you. If you do what you did yesterday, I'm sure you'll get in." Ren said, and then turned to Lys. "Both of you. Now then, good luck. I'll be watching on the sidelines along with Elicia, Miss Hughes, and Sarah. Don't let us down." Ren said with a wave. As she left, Leo just stared with a grin on his face.

"Good luck Lizzie. You too Lys. My father will be amazed at your skills." he said and ran off to follow his sister. Lizzie blushed, and then turned to the other 20 alchemists. With a gulp, she dragged her sister with her. When the two siblings came over, the others just stared for a moment, but then continued to talk on. No one seemed to even acknowledge the Elric siblings. Was that maybe because they were the talk of the military all along?

"Well I guess it's just you and me Lys." Lizzie said with a smile. Lys nodded, but then noticed a woman walk over to them. She seemed to be a bright woman of the age of 26, acting more like an older sister figure instead of an adult.

"Hey!" she called with a wave and a bright smile on her face. The woman had about shoulder length going a little bit lower blonde hair, and sparkling clear blue eyes. She wore crescent shaped moon glasses, and seemed to be carrying a pack of cards and a gun at her side. The two siblings watched the blonde come over with a smile on her face. "You two are the Elric twins, right?" she asked.

"I wouldn't say..._twins_..." Lizzie said with a sweatdrop.

"More like siblings." Lys corrected with a smile.

"Ah, I see. Well, my name is Lunaros Skyeyes. It's a pleasure to meet you two. I'd be embarrassed if I wouldn't make it and you would to be honest." Lunaros said with a grin.

"I see. Well, I'm Lizzie, and this is my sister Lys." Lizzie introduced them. The two shook hands, and got to know eachother more. Soon, another alchemist decided to join.

"The Elrics, right?" the girl asked. She seemed to be about the same age as Ren. The two girls nodded, and introduced themselves once again. The girl had blondish brown hair and nice aqua colored eyes. With a simple nod, she turned to Lizzie.

"Um, can I help you?" Lizzie said with a laugh.

"The name's Akita. Akita Fallow. Good luck in the exams." Akita introduced with a smile. Lizzie felt a warm grin cross her face. It was fun, getting to know alchemists like them. Suddenly, Lizzie felt Lys nudge her slightly.

"Hey Sis, is it just me or do you have a clone?" Lys teased. Looking, Lizzie saw a girl that looked just like her, only about two years older. There was a big difference though... This girl had dark brunette colored hair and black eyes. She wore a red hoodie and a black T-shirt on, and wore ripped jeans. She was walking over to them. They watched as the girl looked up to them. Lys was about 5'3" at that time... the girl seemed to be 5'1".

"The Elric sisters, right? Elizabeth and Alyssa, correct?" the girl asked. Lizzie and Lys nodded.

"It's Lizzie. And yeah." Lizzie introduced.

"I'm Lys." Lys said with a grin. The girl nodded, and then looked at the ground.

"I uh... I've really admired your old man... and um, he was a pretty cool alchemist...from what I heard.." she said, mumbling a little. "I uh, I'm very honored to meet you..." the girl said. Lizzie watched the girl's eyes... They were looking at Lys, but not at her. What? Grudge at first sight? She wasn't the one posing as her dad, or her for that matter... look wise and all it was kind of... _creepy_? All of a sudden, Lys latch hugged onto the girl with a loving smile while Lizzie sweatdropped and the girl seemed pretty pissed...

"Oh it's so... so amazing to hear that! I'm so flattered really! Let's be friends!" Lys said happily. The girl seemed traumatized for a moment, but groaned slightly.

"Um...could you let go of me please?" she asked calmly, though shoving Lys away from her.

"Sorry! Sorry!" Lys apologized. The girl nodded with a short sigh and a small smile.

"So what's your name?" Lizzie asked.

"I'm Hannah Miles." the girl introduced. Lizzie nodded silently and then looked at Hannah.

"So um, why don't you like being um...hugged?" Lizzie asked questioningly.

"Let's just say that I'm... claustrophobic.." Hannah answered with a low mumble. Lizzie didn't believe that Hannah was truly being sincere, but let it go...for now. With a shrug, Lizzie smiled and decided to chat a little bit more with the other alchemists. Finally Fuhrer Mustang had begun his speech to welcome the alchemists there.

"Welcome all alchemists! I am glad to congratulate you on getting this far! Now then, let the exams begin! The first person is; Ariza Sway!" Mustang called, getting straight to the point. Everyone found out when they were going, and sat waiting in line. Lizzie was 18, Lys was 16, Akita 15, Hannah was 13, and Lunaros was 11.

As Lizzie decided to look around her, she saw that the person who was apparently the last "act" of this whole "show", wore a simple black coat covering most of their whole body including their face and legs. All she knew was that this person had silver colored hair... Glancing over, Lizzie noticed that yes, it was a girl who was fiddling with a stuffed animal. She seemed to be 17 though... Chuckling softly, she watched curiously. All of a sudden, the stuffed animal turned to her!

"What are you laughing about?" the stuffed animal asked. Lizzie's eyes bulged for a moment, and then saw that the stuffed animal was a cat puppet.

"I-I-I wasn't laughing at you if that's what you meant!" Lizzie said immediately. The cat at first moved its whiskers, and then shrugged.

"Well, whatever. So, who are you?" the stuffed animal asked. The girl didn't seem to be moving at all.. did she have the power of telekinesis or something? Lizzie couldn't even tell if her lips were moving.

"I'm Elizabeth Rockbell." Lizzie said, stretching her arm. The cat stretched out its paw, and shook.

"I am Alyssa Isabelle Hopkins. But, you may call me Isabelle, or just plain Is." the cat said.

"I see. Well, Is, you may call me Lizzie." Lizzie said with a warm smile. The cat just simply stared, and then turned to watch the alchemists. Okay, dead conversation, but Lizzie decided to continue anyway. Before she could say something though the cat turned again.

"If you want to talk, then talk. What is it?" the cat asked. The voice coming from the cat was a she, so yes...

"Well um...do you think, maybe you could just, talk to me face to face?" Lizzie asked, facing the girl, trying to look her in the eyes. The girl moved up once, the part of her black coat showing Lizzie her mouth and nose and eyes... They were a violet color, and they seemed to be filled with sorrow... The cat talked again, and Lizzie kept her eyes on the girl, realizing... her mouth wasn't moving...

"Sorry. I'm not talking... not, **that** way, that is.." the cat tried to explain the best she could. Lizzie was speechless. Should she continue to talk to this person? Lizzie's thoughts were interrupted when...

Next up! Lunaros Skeyes!" Mustang called. Lizzie watched intently, as did Is. Lunaros entered the "stage", bowing slightly in nervousness. She reached in her pocket to grab her stuff... but...

"Uh-oh.." Lunaros muttered under her breath.

"Something wrong?" Mustang asked.

"N-no!" Lunaros called as she dug through all of her pockets. Finally she found what she was looking for.

"A deck of cards?" Mustang asked under his breath. _This one_ certainly would be interesting. Lunaros brought out about five cards now, throwing them each about two feet away from eachother in a circle. Five mini transmutation circles activated, and about many dozens of flowers surrounded the whole area. The middle was still blank, and the flowers kept growing until they made a mini garden, but also had some tree stumps placed where the cards had activated. Now, it was time for the real show to happen.

"I'm not finished yet!" Lunaros shouted, taking her guns out. Aiming, she shot about five bullets that sank into the tree stumps. There was a short pause, turning into a long silence.. Everyone murmured in the crowd, wondering what would happen next. All of a sudden, a low rumble came from Mother Earth, and everyone watched intently. From each stump an eruption of ice water splashed up, and from the middle a statue came! It was a statue of a falcon, a pretty big falcon actually... the water around it. It became like a mini garden with a fountain and water surrounding it all. Mustang smiled.

"Very talented alchemist. I see high hopes for you." Mustang commented. Lunaros nodded, bowed again, collected her things and went back to her seat. Lizzie was very impressed by Lunaros's performance, and couldn't help but glance at Is who seemed to be looking at her too.

"She was good, wasn't she?" the cat said. Lizzie nodded. "It's okay.. You can tell me, if I scare you." the cat said. Lizzie blinked.

"I would never say you're scary. In fact, I think that it's kind of... amazing you can do this. I wish I had such talent." Lizzie complimented. It seemed Is had been a little amazed at Lizzie's answer for a moment, the cat seemed to fall off her hand, but then regained herself.

"You don't find me... scary? You find me... amazing?" the cat asked. Lizzie nodded with a smile.

"Yes. And I can't wait to see your alchemy performance. I bet it will be splendid. Let's both make it to State Alchemists." Lizzie said with a smile, holding out her hand again. This time, Is reached out her arm, the coat's arm falling away revealing Is's bracelet. It was a large bracelet, having 8 blue gems around all of it. One of them was embedded with a transmutation circle. The moment the two shook hands, for a brief moment Is seemed to be in pain, closing her eyes painfully.

"Is?! Are you all right? I'm sorry did I do something wrong I'm sorry!" Lizzie exclaimed, Is clutching onto her wrist tightly for a moment. When the pain subsided from Is's mind, she looked at Lizzie with her violet eyes sparkling somewhat. The cat twitched once, but then looked at Lizzie.

"I am... fine." was all the reply Lizzie had gotten. Without another word, the two turned again.

"Next up... Hannah Miles!" Mustang said, and Hannah immediately entered on the stage with a grin on her face. She smiled at the audience for a moment, and then gathered her materials. She had about three piles of rock, some steel, water, ice, and mud. Tracing her circle carefully, she gave a short glare to Lizzie. Watching, she slapped her hands on the ground. Suddenly, the things being formed appeared to be statues of...people.. It was of, no doubt, Edward and Alphonse Elric! It was very original, but everything was detailed. Ed had his suitcase in hand, his red jacket glimmering a gold color. Ed was a golden statue while Alphonse was a silver... The armored teen had his red eyes still staring out into the audience, but that kind gesture. Ed had those burning fierceness in his eyes, and Hannah just turned to Mustang and bowed.

"Well well, those statues bring back many memories for me. Well done." Mustang said, a glint appearing in his eyes. As Hannah nodded and took her seat, she stared at Lizzie for a moment, sticking her tongue out. Okay, why did she have a grudge against Lizzie? _'Did I do something wrong?' _Lizzie thought to herself.

"I wouldn't be confused. I'm sure the girl is just a little jealous. Yes, it seems she really envies you to be the daughter of Edward. She practically is his number one fan." the cat said. Lizzie looked, and then nodded, watching again as another of her friends was called.

"Akita Fallow! You're up!" Mustang called. Lizzie saw that Lys had to push Akita to go up there. Once she was in the arena, she took a deep, calm, breath before starting. As she took a deep breath again, Akita looked around at the elements before her. Smiling, she gathered her ingredients. She gathered a bucket of water, bark from a tree, charcoal from a small pile of black pieces, dirt, and finally some grass and ice. Placing them all in the center, she created her circle.

"All right. Let's do this." Akita said with a grin and placed her hands on the ground. The circle glowed, and the magic began. The elements rose from their spot, the bucket flying as the water turned to a spiral wave as it collided with almost everything. What was being formed in front of their very eyes was a 20 foot tall statue of!

Akita smiled as she watched her creation form. At the base, two firm bare feet were being made and then nice chocolate colored legs were made. Next, the outfit the statue was apparently wearing was a green, form-fitting dress. The statue had a nice and slim body shape. The left arm half being made, holding a light blue colored orb glowing brightly as it was held close to its stomach...

Moving up to the statue's chest, it was determined the statue was of a girl but wait, what was this? Behind the girls' back two wings began to form as they spread out to show their beauty. They were a color of ocean blue with black sideline colors. Moving up more to the shoulder length, the other arm was being made as the left was completed. The right shoulder was apparently touching something, but what? It seemed a small robin was made, perched on her shoulder with a happy, curious look on its face.

Finally, the head was made, and you could tell what the final outcome of this statue was. Straight, long black hair with bright green eyes, a smile on her face saying how she was "Nature Girl". Adding the finishing touches, the water that had been swirling finally became a strip as it connected from below her left shoulder to her right hip. In total, the statue was 20 feet tall! Akita sneered as she rose from her spot, not quite tired, still having sweat run down her face slightly.

"Phew! That took _**forever**_! I'd say, my fairy statue represents both nature and magic, don't you?" Akita said innocently. Lizzie chuckled at Akita's smartass tone. Mustang nodded with awe.

"It certainly is a site to see. Well done. You are a splendid alchemist." Mustang complimented. Akita blushed, and then went back to her seat. As the competition continued, it was time for Lys to shine. "Well well. Alyssa Elric! I can't wait to see your performance." Mustang said with a proud smile, actually sitting straight in his seat. Lys nodded nervously, and then turned to her sister with a grin.

"You can do it." Lizzie mouthed, and Lys nodded. She started to gather all of her materials for the creation she was to make. The first thing Lys did was collect about four buckets of water and placed them on seperate transmutation circles. Next, she got four more buckets and mixed soil in them and made it into mud, spraying it on the circle. After, she gathered soil she could as she sprinkled it all over the four places. Finally, she gathered bark and placed it to the four places. The fifth, was yet to be activated. Among the four transmutation circles, all four of them were connected with a single line so they would all be activated at once. As Lys finally took a breather, she placed her hands on the ground and the circle began to work its amazing talent... Soon, all components were made. There was a body, two claw like hands, a stand, and of course legs. The last circle would be activated much later.

"She is your sister?" the cat asked.

"Yes." Lizzie said with admiration, watching her sister perform her alchemy. Lys smiled, and then turned to the last circle. Activating it, the head was formed, showing the military's symbol; the lion. Finally, she connected all of the circles to one very large circle. Closing her eyes, Lys spread her arms out in front of her. There was a short silence, when all of a sudden all of the circles glowed and a tremendous wind blew, creating a tornado of blue with lightning streaks being thrown. The wind made Lys's hair blow upward, making her absolutely stunning. All of the pieces flew up high into the tornado's air, flying at lightning speed as they began to look like they were automatically _glueing_ (sp?) themselves together.

A low murmur went through the crowd, and Lizzie could pick out, "Whoa, so that's one of the Elric children! I can't wait to see the other.." "That girl's got raw talent..." "It's amazing what the heir of Elric can do.." Lizzie smirked as she continued to watch her sister and her alchemy reach its final stage. As the body, arms, and legs and base were made, the final touch was the head and the great added features, giving it a ferocious look at showing how the military was one thing not to mess with. In total, the statue was 15 ft tall! Everyone watched in amazement as Lys walked off, turning when Fuhrer was talking to her.

"Well done. I cannot wait to see your sister perform as you have. Both of you are probably skilled alchemists." he said with a smile. Lys nodded with a grin. As Lizzie watched her sister walk off, she saw another girl take the stage. Turning to her right, she saw the chair next to her was empty.. Wow! Her turn would be next?! The time flew by with these alchemists... She didn't even acknowledge the girl that was next to her at the right...

"Ah, Miss Rose...uh."

"Just Rose." the girl responded. She wore a black mini skirt, purple tank top, purple belt, and black boots. She had black hair that went to her shoulders, and green eyes that shimmered like emeralds. As there was a short silence, the girl took out her bow and arrows. They were pure silver with black as the tip and feathers.. "Ready, Steady..." the girl said to herself, concentrating as she aimed up high. The tip of the arrow began to light up, the circle on the feather being activated. "GO!" the girl shouted, releasing the arrow at top high speed.

Rose didn't take her time with using her alchemy. The arrow shot up in the air, picking up speed and suddenly glowing. Stopping in midair, Rose sent another one up high that collided with the first. There was a huge bang in the sky, and suddenly it was raining black rose, blue violet, and purple petals. Rose shot about three more into the air as the petals danced with eachother as they fell so slowly and beautifully. Another huge collision was made as all five of them combined, the petals forming a mix of blue, purple, and black circular shape. Soon, the full moon could be seen in amazing petal form..

"Wow.. She's.."

"Amazing." the cat said, finishing Lizzie's sentence. Lizzie nodded with a gulp. As Rose started to walk away, she snapped her fingers and the full moon exploded and floated down onto the ground, creating the basic alchemy circle, ending her act. As Lizzie watched Rose walk back to her seat, she waited until the girl sat right down next to her. Before going up, Lizzie turned to Rose.

"Your act was so...beatiful. I wish I were as great as you." Lizzie said with a grin, and walked to the stage before Rose could say anything to her. As Lizzie was at the center of the field, she turned to Lys, to Mustang, to Leo and the rest of the gang, and finally the crowd.

"Well well. Miss, Elizabeth Rockbell Elric." Mustang said with a smirk. Lizzie couldn't help but put on a grin. She could hear the crowd start to become excited. Taking a deep breath, Lizzie stared at the ground for a moment, and then readied herself for the materials. _'Well... it's your time to shine Lizzie. Don't let yourself down... Don't let.. don't let Edward down.'_ Lizzie thought to herself, and began getting her materials.

The whole crowds watched as Lizzie first got some water from the small stream nearby and placed it in a bucket. Next she gathered some rocks, putting them in a pile. Grabbing some dirt she let it go on to the stones. When the mud was finally done, she layed it down around the rocks and dirt in a circle. Then she sprinkled a little bit of water she had left around the whole area. After that, Lizzie clapped her hands and transmuted two swords for herself. Grabbing them, she turned to them with a grin.

"Um, I'm almost ready." Lizzie said, and ran off to where the trees were. Everyone watched as Lizzie cut down two trees twice her size with just a slice of her swords. They fell with a THUD, and Lizzie dragged them back, placing them each so they created an 'X' shape. Finally, she turned to everyone. Gulping, she bowed nervously and then turned to her circle, examining her work so far. _'Okay.. I have everything. Now, let's do this!'_ Lizzie thought and her eyes burned with such confidence.

She clapped her hands, and without placing them on the ground she placed them in front of her, the items began to swirl like a vortex and glow. Mustang actually rose from his feet, watching this statue come alive right before his very eyes. He couldn't believe this! Was this kid even _human_? _'Amazing. She truly is Elric's daughter.'_ Mustang thought as he watched this mighty creation being formed. At first, the dragon's base was formed, its body slithering into a spring form, its tail like a big fan with gold and red colors sprouting to life. From there, the body kept going until the first two sets of arms were made.

The claws held two orbs both blue, its strong muscular features and scales glimmering as the orbs glowed their mysterious ice blue color. Up and up the statue went until the other two claws were made, this time holding two red orbs, strong muscular features and scales shimmering as the orbs glowed their blazing golden color.

Finally, after about two more feet up the head was created, mouth open to show its vicious teeth, eyes that were blazing with integrity, whiskers to show it's intelligence and wisdom. To add the finishing touch, a shimmering glow went from the figure's neck all the way down to the tail. There it stood, this time 28 feet tall! The dragon in all of its glory. Everyone looked up, speechless. Even the Fuhrer was aghast. Lizzie smiled.

"I'm not done." Lizzie said with a grin, and then clapped her hands again when she took her father's pocketwatch in her hand, transforming herself into a glittering silver sparkling girl. Eyes open, they were a white color as she stared into the dragons eyes. Moving her arms up, the dragon slowly began to move as it rose to the sky, and let out a loud roar. The eyes glowed a fierce red color... As Lizzie brought her hands down, the dragon rested its head against the near ground, finally returning to its deep slumber. The silver retreated from Lizzie's body, all returning to the pocketwatch which glimmered for a moment. Lizzie smiled, and finally bowed, returning to her seat.

"Elicia.. did you..."

"Yeah... That kid has both Edward and Alphonse's skills of alchemy.. I remember mother told me once of Al's potential when he was only Lys's age..." Elicia answered Ren with a small grin on her face as she turned to Gracia who nodded. Everyone was silent, and finally Mustang coughed to signal everyone to hear.

"Finally, the last competitor. Alyssa Isabelle Hopkins!" Mustang called, and Lizzie watched as Is passed by without a word. She came out to the stage, looking at almost everyone, starting to look like she was gaining stage fright. She seemed to be whispering something to the cat, but then got numb after hearing murmurs going through the crowd. Lizzie could somehow feel Is's tension rise, and rose from her seat. She stared at Is, and Is stared back.

"C'mon Is! I thought we both said we'd get to be State Alchemists! TOGETHER! Show these numbskulls what true alchemists can do!!!" Lizzie shouted, and Is blinked in disbelief. She seemed to blush for a moment, but then silently nodded with the cat puppet raising a paw in thanks. Lizzie sat back down with a grin, and then looked at Rose sitting next to her. "Um... no offense.. Just raising her spirit.. ya know?" Lizzie said and Rose just shrugged with a grin.

Is stared out onto the playing field, and realized that all the elements she would need was water, and ice... Raising her free hand, the sleeve fell, showing her bracelet. Suddenly, there was a bright light, and the middle jewel glimmered rays of light as all of a sudden, both water and ice were sprayed upon the floor as if an invisible force had moved them both... The transmutation circle on Is's hand glowed brightly, and she placed it on the ground. Suddenly, ice needles, thorns, and spikes rose as a huge tower about 22 ft rose above, sending chills down some people's spines...

"Well well." Mustang said with a chuckle. Is made one motion to Mustang, saying she was not yet finished. Closing her eyes, her alchemy jewel lit up once more, and the circle appeared to be engraved on her own palm as it glowed. Walking foward, she placed her hand on the tower and suddenly, it broke apart and suddenly a whirlwind of snow, sleet, hail, rain, and ice danced around her and the whole entire playing field. It was both beautiful, and at the same time fierce. A raging storm dancing as suddenly the sky darkened. Everyone looked up to see lights twinkling and dancing for them, the aurora borealis was right before their eyes! Everyone oo-ed and awed at the sight, but suddenly the storm picked up a little more. Is just stood here, her jewel still glowing, eyes staring at the cold ground...

Suddenly, flames spewed from the arena, having the storm cease. Is looked up to see Mustang, his fingers in his position right after snapping them. He stared at Is for a moment, who only stared back with her mysterious violet colored eyes, searching for an answer from him.

"Well done. Now then, all alchemists! When I call your name, please stand! After that, come with me to my office where I will give you your state name!" Mustang called as Is took a seat. Lizzie looked at the girl who just stared at the ground.

"That was amazing Is. I can't believe it.. It was just, so beautiful." Lizzie exclaimed. For once it seemed, Is smiled.

"Thank you." Is said, and then turned. As Lizzie did too, she saw him read a list.

"Now, I will say. This time, only about 7! Wow, 7 of you passed.. I've seen raw talent this year, and I am very pleased. As I call your name, come up here and stand in line! Now then! Our first alchemist is: Hannah Miles!" Mustang called. Hannah seemed thrilled as she rushed up, turning to the audience. "Miss Rose!" Mustang shouted. Rose smiled, walking up calmly and casually as she too turned to the crowd. "Akita Fallow! Lunaros Skyeyes!" Mustang said one after another. The two girls rushed up side by side with grins on their faces. "Alyssa Isabelle Hopkins! Alyssa Elric!" he called. Alyssa stood as well as Is, both staring at Lizzie for a moment before coming up.

There was a short pause before Mustang continued. He looked at the other 13 alchemists sitting there, some looking like they would have a heart attack if they were chosen or not. Lizzie stared into Mustang's eyes, and he stared into hers with a grin on his face. "And finally, without further waiting! The final alchemist is!" he started, clearing his throat. _'Get on with it already..'_ Lizzie thought to herself, feeling a bead of sweat run down her face. She gulped, clutching a fist. "Miss Elizabeth Rockbell Elric!" he called. Lizzie opened her eyes, and then ran up next to her sister who had a grin on her face. The crowd suddenly uproared into a fit as the alchemists were chosen, standing and clapping as cheers could be heard.

"Thank you all for this wonderful experience! Next year I bet we will be able to see even more amazing alchemists!" Mustang shouted to the crowd. He then turned to the alchemists chosen among the rest. "Now then, all of you come to my office right now. So we can get all of you certified, and also give you your very first mission." he said with a grin. They all nodded quietly, and then uproared themselves. Akita and Lunaros hugged eachother while Hannah and Lys conversed together with giggles. Rose and Is seemed to be by themselves, a few feet apart from eachother. Lizzie decided to walk over to them.

"Congratulations you two!" Lizzie said with a grin, taking both Rose and Is hand in hand. Is turned her head a little bit, while Rose grinned too.

"Yes, you as well Elric! Congratulations to you! I didn't get to introduce myself properly. I'm Rose." Rose said with a happy smile. Is smiled to herself. The cat looked happy as well.

"Yes. Congratulations, Elizabeth." the cat congratulated. Lizzie nodded with a grin, and took both of them and led them to Mustang's office. With a warm feeling, Lizzie actually couldn't wait to find out her State name! As of course, all the other alchemists that passed.

F-U-H-R-E-R-S--O-F-F-I-C-E

Both Lys and Lizzie waited outside the Fuhrer's office. They had been waiting for about seven hours straight with all the other passing alchemists waiting. How long did it take to give out a name for them? Sarah waited with them too, swinging her legs as she sat on Lizzie's lap.

"I can't wait to see your names you guys." Sarah said happily. The two girls smiled as they chatted with Sarah. It sure made the time fly by. As the Elrics finally were summoned, (their friends were still waiting in line) They walked inside to see the Fuhrer, staring out the window.

"Well well. I congratulate you two, you did splendidly. And now it is time to give your names." the Fuhrer said, giving both of them some papers. Both sisters took them in their hands, and skimmed over the papers.

"Wow! Sis, check out my name!" Lys said, practically shoving her certification of an alchemist in Lizzie's face.

"Let's see what we've got... Hm. Alyssa Elric; AKA- Psywave Alchemist. Hm, that fits you considering your performance today. Great job Lys." Lizzie said with a grin, ruffling Lys's hair. Lys smiled, and then grabbed Lizzie's paper. "H-hey! Lys!" Lizzie practically whined.

"Lessee... Elizabeth (Rockbell) Elric; AKA- Silversteel Alchemist. Hey, that sounds kinda like Fullmetal Alchemist huh Sis?" Lys said with a grin. Lizzie stared at the paper for a moment, wondering why the Fuhrer would choose that kind of name for her.

"Silversteel? C'mon Fuhrer, is that the best you got?" Lizzie asked, throwing the paper onto his desk. The Fuhrer turned, a smile on his face.

"You're under my jurisdiction now Major. The name is going to stick whether you like it or not. Hey, it was either that or Goldendragon Alchemist. But with your added performance with your state...well, with your father's state watch, that is what I chose. Catchy, isn't it? Oh and, call me Colonel Roy Mustang." Mustang said as he looked at both of them.

"Yessir Colonel Mustang sir!" Lys salluted. Lizzie sweatdropped.

"You're takin' this way to seriously, Lys." Lizzie said as she gave her sister a playful nudge. The three smiled, and then heard a small knock on the door. Mustang walked over and saw Sarah bounce in, rushing up to Lizzie and Lys.

"Heyy! Lyssy! Ane-sama! How'd you do?" Sarah asked playfully and the two smiled.

"You can call me the Psywave alchemist!" Lys said proudly, and then Sarah turned to Lizzie.

"Silversteel Alchemist." Lizzie said with a grin and laughed as Sarah gave Lizzie a hug. Mustang smiled at the bond these girls shared, but decided since they had passed, it was time to get to the matter at hand. He coughed slightly, having all three of the girls look at him. He simply motioned his eyes to Sarah and then back. Lizzie was the only one that got the message.

"H-Hey Lys, why don't you take Sarah outside and give a call to Auntie Rose? Tell her the good news and stuff. I need to find out some info about you-know-who." Lizzie said and Lys agreed, taking Sarah outside. Once the doors closed, Lizzie turned to Mustang. "Well? What's up chief?" Lizzie asked as she sat down. Mutang turned to the window again, as if looking out somewhere.

"I've heard you've been staying at the Tucker Mansion. Tell me Silversteel, has anything, _strange_ happened over there?" Mustang asked, not turning. Lizzie didn't know whether to answer truthfully or ask why.

"That depends. Define _strange_." Lizzie countered and Mustang actually laughed.

"Anything suspicious? Anything you've seen that needs reporting? I've been hearing from neighbors by that house that sometimes during the night a lone chimera's cry can be heard howling through the night at that house." Mustang replied. Lizzie found it hard to swallow, mouth becoming dry.

"Sir... Only once have I seen, something _strange_." Lizzie said, finding the words harder and harder to say. If she told Mustang of Nina's current attempts, what would happen to Sarah? To Nina? To the Creation?

"Do tell. I'm all ears." Mustang said.

"Well... only one evening did I see, the basement and where Miss Nina was... The thing is, she's trying to bring back Shou Tucker. And every time she fails, she turns into her chimera state, still trying.. I don't know, but I just.. have this feeling that tonight somehow she will succeed, whether it be without sacrifice or with sacrifice. What do you want me to do about it sir?" Lizzie asked.

"Investigate further. If need be, we will send in military personel to help aid you. We cannot allow Nina to do this." Mustang said sternly. Lizzie nodded, and then her eyes turned to the window. It was raining...

Full-----Metal-----Alchemist

As Lizzie, Lys, and Sarah exited the room, they decided to wait for their friends as they were summoned one by one. When they all got their state names, it was then they would share. For they bet everyone wanted to know their state names. The time flew by, and finally as the Elrics friends came out one by one, they had all exclaimed (except for Is) what their names were.

"I can't believe I actually made it. Heh! Check it out, the name's SuprisingStriker Alchemist!" Lunaros said with a grin.

"Oh yeah? I felt like mine was completely better. I'm now known as the ShadowSpirit Alchemist!" Akita added with a laugh. The two Elrics nodded with a grin.

"Call me the Midnight Alchemist." Rose said with a semi grin. Lizzie nodded with a laugh, and then it was Hannah's turn to tell them of her name. Hannah muttered it silently.

"Come again?" Lizzie asked.

"...Out Alchemist.." Hannah muttered again. There was a short silence.

"Hey Colonel! Mind tellin' us what Hannah's state name is?!" Lizzie called. Mustang walked out, staring at Hannah who stared daggers at him. Mustang laughed.

"Hannah Miles, also known as the GoldSprout alchemist." Mustang smirked.

"GoldSprout?..." Lizzie asked, puzzled.

"It was either that or Bean Alchemist." Mustang said proudly. Lizzie was trying so hard not to laugh.

"What?! WHO'RE YOU CALLIN' A **BEAN?! A BEAN!?**" Hannah roared in disbelief.

"It seems we also had a twin sister for Fullmetal's oldest now, did we?" Mustang said with a sly smile.

"Nice name. I woulda liked Bean Alchemist better." Lizzie teased with a cackle. Hannah turned to Lizzie with a deadly glare.

"I really HATE you." Hannah angrily said.

"And you love my damn old geezer huh?" Lizzie countered. The two seemed ready to get into another fight.

"C-c'mon you two! I think the name isn't bad at all!! Really!! And I mean, I think everyone would like that name! I mean... they'd think you to be our father's kid!" Lys tried to cover. Hannah turned to Lys.

"R-Really?" Hannah said, eyes sparkling just a little. Lizzie burst out laughing.

"You easily fell for that one!" she said.

"SHUT UP!" Hannah roared angrily, flustering pink.

"YOU SHUT UP YOU POSER! POSING AS EDWARD! POSING AS THE GREAT FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST! WELL LET ME TELL YOU, DO YOU SEE AN EDWARD ELRIC?! WELL?! DO YOU?! CUZ I DON'T! WHY THE HELL IS HE SUCH AN IDOL FOR EVERYONE HUH?!" Lizzie roared angrily. She was tired of having a conversation about her father. It seemed that from this point on Mustang was **gone**. Hannah seemed to be horrified of Lizzie's cruel words, and gave her a slap. (due to size Hannah had to stand on her tippy toes to reach)

"How can you say such a thing?! Such a cruel, horrible thing about your own father!" Hannah roared. It seemed the room grew silent. Hannah felt such rage bubbling she was about to give a punch to Lizzie. Lizzie caught her hand though, and then realized something was..different about it. Hannah threw her other hand for a punch and Lizzie caught that too.. Both felt, kind of.. metallic?

"What the?" Lizzie wondered, rolling up Hannah's sleeves. Her eyes grew widened for a moment. Hannah had two automail arms...

"FYI, it's automail you dobe. And really, what kind of daughter are you?! Mocking your dad, calling him names?! He deserves your respect too!" Hannah said angrily, pushing her sleeves down quickly. Regaining herself, Lizzie's firey golden eyes stared into Hannah's coal colored ones.

"I can say whatever I wanna say about him! He's my dad, and I can curse about him all I want to! It's none of your business how I feel about him! You hardly know where he is!" Lizzie cried.

"And you do?!" Hannah shouted back. Lizzie grew silent, and pushed Hannah aside for a moment, staring at her once.

"That's why I'm searching for him. To beat the snot outta him for what he's done. And don't even think about asking me, because you're not getting an answer from me." Lizzie said low, her tone calm and collected now. The room grew silent again, a few minutes rolled on by before the alchemists realized that one more alchemists name was yet to be said. All eyes fell on Is. Well, from Is to the cat doll. Lizzie had explained earlier something about Is.. The cat moved its head, and then smiled.

"Just call me the SnowFrostSeer Alchemist." the cat said with a meow. The girls slowly grinned, and Lizzie stood up stretching when she put Sarah down. It was like the little uproar never happened.

"Great job you guys. I'm so happy for ya. So, have you got your assignments?" Lizzie asked curiously.

"Lunaros, Hannah, and I are going to the Youswell coal mines on the eastern border. We're gonna get some coal there and investigate. There have been sightings of some strange coal, colors of purple and glowing green. Weird I know, huh? We both leave tommorow." Akita replied. Everyone turned to the cat.

"To some town to the north called Winstown. There have been weird sightings of strange shadowy creatures spotted, and also a townsperson has disappeared..." the cat explained.

"Yeah. I'm coming with her." Rose said with a grin, holding tightly onto her bow.

"Sounds dangerous. Will you be all right, Is? Rose?" Lizzie asked. There was a short pause.

"Don't worry about me. I will be fine." the cat said monotonously, finally walking off. Rose looked as Is walked off.

"Yeah, I'll be okay too. Hopefully we'll both look out for eachother ya know?" Rose said with a grin, finally leaving as she followed Is out. After both Rose and Is were gone, there was a short pause.

"Is _is_ an interesting character now isn't she?" Akita observed.

"Very, _mysterious_." Lunaros added.

"C'mon you guys that's not very nice.." Lizzie said with a short grin. She felt sorry for Is, and she felt a strong connection somehow with the girl, more than any of the others. There was another pause...

"So Lizzie, what was your state name? You never told us!" Akita said playfully giving Lizzie a slap.

"I'm SilverSteel." Lizzie said.

"Psywave!" Lys exclaimed. The four girls laughed.

"So where are you guys headed?" Lunaros asked.

"To Lior after this." the two sisters replied. Sarah seemed to frown slightly.

"Lior? Wow. I heard it had become a bustling burst of energy kinda town. Good luck with whatever you have to do there." Akita said. The five girls nodded with a laugh, and soon it was time for all of them to go. Akita, Hannah, and Lunaros had to pack for their trip tommorow, and both Lizzie and Lys needed to get Sarah home and pack their own things for their trip to Lior...

S-T-R-E-E-T-S--O-F-C-E-N-T-R-A-L

As Lizzie, Lys, and Sarah walked down the street, the rain began to pick up to a stronger storm. Lizzie decided to give Sarah a hood to protect herself from the cold, and then looked at Lys with a smile.

"Did you make the call?" Lizzie asked curiously. Lys nodded silently. "Something wrong? Did something bad happen?" Lizzie asked. No answer. "Look Lys, if it was what I said back there then I'm sorry... But please, if something bad happened tell me. Did something bad happen?" Lizzie asked again. This time, Lys nodded, having Lizzie stopped dead in her tracks. Sarah turned to see what was wrong. "What's wrong? What happened? Did something bad happen to mom? To Auntie?" Lizzie asked. Lys didn't answer. "Lys.. dammit tell me right now what's wrong. Lys!" Lizzie practically shouted. Lys burst into tears.

"I..I called and.. and Auntie Rose said that she.. she hasn't heard from mom since she left for... for some,.. some place I don't know where but... Since we heard about the rebellion now... Auntie Rose said that.. that Mom was headed for the direction where the war was taking place and.. With no contact what if.. What if mom's hurt or dead?!" Lys blurted, tears ran down her face. Lizzie's eyes grew wide for a moment, and then regained herself as she gave her sister a light slap.

"Pull yourself together, Lys. You know as well as I do that Mom would never get injured! She's too.. She just can't all right? We can't let that enter our minds okay? Mom's fine, I bet she just hasn't been able to reach a phone or something yet. Now c'mon, the rain's picking up and I don't wanna risk Sarah's health out here by having her catch cold. Let's go." Lizzie said sternly, trying to act brave on the outside for Lys; but on the inside she was just as worried as Lys was.

T-U-C-K-E-R--M-A-N-S-I-O-N

As the three girls entered the mansion, only the creeking sound of the door could be heard. The whole house was silent.

"Mommy? We're home! Where are you?!" Sarah shouted, and then realized that Alex was no where to be found too. Lizzie had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. If Alex was no where to be found, would Sarah be next? Did Nina already try and use Alex as a sacrifice to bring back Shou? She was afraid.. she was afraid to check the basement. Suddenly, the phone rang.

"I'll get it." Lizzie said immediately and rushed to the phone. She picked it up and saw that it was Mustang calling. "Mustang sir?" Lizzie said.

"Ah, Elizabeth. Status report." he said on the other line.

"Nina's nowhere to be found sir. And the dog is missing..." Lizzie said softly, hoping that Lys and Sarah couldn't hear her.

"I see. Have you checked the basement yet?" Mustang asked.

"ALEX!" a scream shot through like an echo in this huge house, and Lizzie immediately turned abruptly. Mustang heard the scream too, and practically shouted into the phone.

"Elizabeth! I'll send over troops as soon as I can. Under my order go check that out!" and soon the beeping noise from the phone happened. Lizzie immediately dropped the phone and ran to where the noise came from.

"Lys?! Sarah? Where are you!" Lizzie called, running through the halls and rooms of the house. The final place she came to was the basement, the door was open a crack. She gulped, and rushed downstairs calling out their names. "Lys! SARAH! ANSWER DAMNIT!" she cursed, and then heard another scream, this time calling for her.

"LIZ!!" Lys cried, and Lizzie saw that there had been a crack made in the basement, leading to the sewers. Lizzie followed the trail of what looked like... blood. Oh God, had Nina really tried to sacrifice Alex?... As Lizzie turned the corner, she saw a white lump, fur soaked with red in the sewer's small stream. She also saw two figures looming over the poor creature. A transmutation circle was around the dog. _'Oh no.. It's already happening..'_ Lizzie thought to herself as she rushed over.

"Are you guys all right?" Lizzie asked, seeing the horrified looks on her sisters faces.

"Alex... he's... he's not moving and... and... what happened to him.. Alex!!" Sarah cried, shaking Alex so he would wake. Lizzie bent down, and rubbed Sarah's back affectionately. Sarah looked at Lizzie, and then hugged her tightly. "Why is this happening Ane-sama?! Why?! Why why why why whyyyy!!" she sobbed. Lizzie only hugged Sarah tighter.

"I don't know.. but we're not safe here... We need to go, NOW." Lizzie replied picking Sarah up and holding her in her arms. Lizzie looked at Lys, and the sisters nodded as they ran to where the entrance was. As they rounded the corner, what stopped them made their hearts almost skip a beat. There was Nina, and with her were two huge Chimeras, heads of lions and bodies of reptiles.

"Where do you think you're running off to, with _my_ sacrifice?" Nina asked, her cheerful look replaced with one with cold, lifeless eyes and a crazed smile on her face. The only thing the sisters could do, was stare in horror at the face that once was so innocent, now replaced with deadly guilt and betrayel. Could this really be the end? Of all three of them?

E-N-D--O-F--C-H-A-P-T-E-R--7

Me: okay, nina is gonna be ooc.. trust me. next chapter she's gonna be reaaallly ooc... but that's only because.. well, u'll see... but if u don't like the oocness of nina then i'm sorry!!!! really i am i never imagined i'd make nina a minor enemy character... so i apologize if u don't like it...

Lizzie: hey ur authoress of this story. u can do whatever u want with it.

Me: thanks liz!

Lizzie: whatever. -smiles-

Me: well anyways, that was a long chapter hehe. thanks again participants for ur profiles! i hope u liked how i made your alchemy transmutations went, and if u don't feel free to tell me how u would have wanted it to be done and i will fix this chapter. anyways, next time: Chapter 8: The Sacrifice, The End. To Lior.


	8. The Sacrifice, The End, To Lior

A/N: okay another longish chapter... lol. anyways, yea so, aren't you glad the cliffie is over? lol anyways, i guess i just wanted to show how much bonding shou and nina truly had. even though it is kind of horrific and kinda strange, i wanted to show that no matter what, shou and nina still have the strong father daughter bond. the dedication to eachother, the love for one another, and etc. anyways, thanks for sticking with this story everyone! -Silver

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. I heart Hughes!!

**Chapter 8: The Sacrifice, The End. To Lior.**

Lizzie and Lys stared into Nina's lifeless eyes, dulled as she still had that crazed smile on her face. Lys was the first to speak, still her voice cracking slightly.

"S-Sacrifice? You don't mean-"

"Elizabeth, be a dear and give me my daughter." Nina said sweetly, her voice trying its best to sound as sweet as possible. It didn't work.

"No way... you've gone too far Nina.. Don't you realize what's happening?" Lizzie hissed back, seeing the chimeras growl fiercely, waiting for their master's command. Nina frowned slightly.

"I'm reviving my father.. so we can be a happy family again... And I can't do that without my sacrifice." Nina replied, voice cracking slightly. She and her chimeras took one step foward while the sisters took one back. Sarah looked at her mother, shock written over her face.

"Mommy?.. You want me to be... a Sacrifice?" Sarah asked, eye swidened with fear.

"No dear... You _are_ the Sacrifice." Nina replied calmly, as if she was summoning Sarah over to her. Sarah just burried her face in Lizzie's shirt, wishing this living nightmare would be over.

"Forget it Nina! If you try to revive your dad now and die in the same process, what's there to obtain?! The same cycle will happen again, he'll revive you, you'll revive him and so on! Give it a rest, Nina! Why are you doing this?! Sacrificing your own daughter? Your own flesh and blood?! How could you-"

"She's not _my_ flesh and blood!" Nina hissed angrily, a tear appeared out of the corner of her eye. All three girls looked at Nina like she was crazy. Nina angrily clutched her chest, gripping tight to where her heart would be. "She's **her**flesh and blood. She's **her**daughter. She isn't mine, I'm just the shell while the real soul is screaming inside, wanting to see **her** father again! Wishing to be with **her** father again! I'm just the _**vessel**_, I'm just the _skin and bone_ while the soul within me is **her**! I am nothing! I am not Nina Tucker! I am the vessel which contains the real Nina Tucker! Her soul! I'm just the one that can make things right for this... this _soul_, so that I can be at peace!" Nina practically spat.

"That doesn't give you a right to fullfill this forbidden alchemy! Equivalent-"

"Exchange! Don't you think I know that? I've tried everything to avoid sacrificing lives, but it doesn't work! Even you know that too well Elizabeth. Don't think I didn't know you were spying on me that night..." Nina said angrily, seeing Lizzie's shocked face.

"Still! Don't you think that you should be happy enough to have Sarah?! Why do you have to do this!" Lys called.

"I'm doing this out of love! I'm doing this for _her_, so she can be with her father again! This soul, it cries out and it haunts me so! It's tearing me apart and yet I know that the only way to cease it's agony is to revive Shou Tucker once again! Now, give me my daughter." Nina said, that crazed smile back on her face.

"I won't let you have her! This has gone way too far! Lys, take care of Sarah for me and get yourselves out." Lizzie said, creating a sword for herself using alchemy. Lys nodded silently, and at the same time both siblings sprinted to the blocked exit. Nina solemnly sighed, and then she transformed into her chimera form, those white eyes shining as she cried in despair. Lizzie was first, kicking a chimera out of the way as the other attacked her on Nina's command. Lizzie had it's teeth clawed down on her sword, while the other painfully got up from the blow.

"Liz!"

"JUST GO!" Lizzie shouted back as she fought off the two chimeras, drawing them closer to her than Lys. Lys ran with Sarah in her arms, rushing outside, seeing military officers surround the whole mansion.

"Where is Major Silversteel?!" Mustang called.

"She's inside! There's an underground sewage down there, that's where they are! She's fighting against two chimeras! We have to hurry!" Lys explained as she saw Leo. She rushed over to him, gave him Sarah, and then rushed back inside with the military running after her.

"Leo, stay here and look after the girl. Ren, come with me!" Mustang ordered and Leo watched as father and sister rushed inside to help.

S-E-W-E-R-S

Lizzie fought off the chimeras as best as she could, but they just kept coming out of nowhere! Once she had finished off the lion reptilians, three flying bird chimeras attacked her from the ceiling, diving at her with their sharp beaks.

"Damnit!" Lizzie roared as she saw Nina chimera slowly walk over to where Alex's dead body lay, ready for sacrifice. No, that was no way for a dog to die. She raced toward Nina as the chimeras swooped, their claws sinking into her flesh. Lizzie screamed painfully as she hit the ground, blood leaving a trail. She held on to her arm painfully, and then saw the other two coming for her. Using her alchemy, she created two spikes that ended both their lives, feathers flying as screeches were made. Lizzie then ran up to where Nina and Alex were, seeing that two more chimeras were with her.

_"It's ashwame... Ishn't itt?"_ Nina chimera spoke with a grin, sending the two chimeras for her. Lizzie angrily shouted something as she was prepared to fight, but then saw two flame strips burn the chimeras to a crisp. She turned, glad to see Mustang and Ren.

"Boy am I glad to see you guys here!" Lizzie couldn't help but explain.

"Sis!" Lys roared as she came with the other military officers. Lizzie saw them, and then turned to Nina chimera who had a confused look on her face.

_"Offishers... Ready to see mwy crweation?"_ Nina chimera spoke, ready for the circle to be activated. It was all to well for her that another voice called out.

"Ane-samaaa! MOMMY!" a blur rushed past everyone, and they looked in horror as Sarah rushed to her mother.

"NO! DON'T DO IT NINA! DON'T DO IT PLEASE!" Lizzie pleaded as she scrambled to her feet, rushing to where Sarah was heading. Nina chimera smiled awkwardly, and placed it's paws on the circle. Sarah stopped dead in her tracks, feet frozen to the water as she started to scream.

_"Daddy... you'll be living with me... Soon."_ Nina chimera said as tears ran down her face, for once her voice as clear as a bell. Lizzie tackled Nina chimera as the circle was still activate. Now all three of them screamed in pain. Luckily, Lizzie was able to make her way to Sarah and hugged the poor girl, finally shutting her eyes as the circle began to drain away her energy, her life... Suddenly, a blinding flash engulfed them all, and in an instant, they were gone. But still the light continued, and no one could see what was going on. It was all just a blinding blur for all of them.

_T-H-E--G-A-T-E  
_

_Lizzie awoke to see Sarah shivering, head hidden against her shirt. She saw Nina chimera, scrambling all over the place, wondering where they were. It was strange... This place, Lizzie felt like she knew it. It was all too familiar. Suddenly, the three saw a door before them. A door... A door with symbols and markings that Lizzie could not understand. Suddenly, her eyes grew wide as the Door opened, inside a black abyss with many eyes stared._

_Black arms rushed to where she and Sarah were, and Lizzie fought against the arms that were trying to drag her in._

_"NO! You can't have her! I won't let you!" Lizzie cried menacingly, staring into the many eyes the door contained, biting the arms that tried to drag her through. Suddenly, the eyes fell upon chimera Nina._

_"Where's Daddy?" Nina asked curiously, having Lizzie turn in shock to see a four year old Nina standing before them. Was this Nina's soul? If so, then where was the shell that contained her soul? So there innocent Nina's soul was, her shell corrupt and filled with rage and agony nowhere to be found... Was this a curse? Why did this poor girl have to suffer?_

_Suddenly, the image of little Nina flickered until the little girl was replaced with chimera Nina. "Daddy.. I want Daddy... Daddy..." it muttered and suddenly, an image of a man appeared at the Door. He was thrown out, and was lying there. Nina chimera quickly rushed to the man's side, sniffing him slightly. "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Pway... with me.. Daddy.. Daddy!" Nina chimera said, her tail wagging as her ears perked, tears rolling down her face. Chimera Nina did not understand, and continued to cry out to her father who lay there on the cold ground. This was truly a sad sight for Lizzie to experience. It would be the same cycle if this continued. Father loving daughter, bringing her back... Daughter loving father even more, bringing him back... This had to stop, NOW._

_"Whatever you are, door... please, take away these two souls to where your dark abyss is. I can't allow this to continue. I have to stop it!" Lizzie shouted, pleading with the door. Suddenly, Chimera Nina's ears perked as she growled softly, facing the Door. Out of nowhere, a rush of hands grabbed hold onto of Chimera Nina who whined, panted, howled, and then looked at the figure of her father. It started to change.. He started to change to become just a black figure with no soul, just one purpose. _

_"Ninaa..." it hissed, suddenly writhing in pain. Chimera Nina just howled as the Door finally sucked her in, and Lizzie felt herself suddenly convulse.. Something struck her hard, a strange feeling that made her feel like her lungs were being crushed, head pounding as a tidal wave crashed against her mind. What was this strange feeling? She felt her eyes roll in the back of her head... 'Oh God.. OH GOD! What's happening to me?!' Lizzie thought as she screamed and rolled, her body ached and her mind screamed for peace. _

_Images flashed before her very eyes. Her father, blood, automail, sacrifices... A woman with nice brown hair, suddenly turned into a hideous _**thing**_. A boy losing his soul to have it placed in a suit of armor, a boy with a heavy burden, This.. This Door, no.. GATE. A death, a new beginning... Another side? Images flashed again and again, making Lizzie's mind reel and turned and twisted until finally she let out a loud scream that could only kill her vocal chords and let her lose her voice for at least a couple of days._

_Lizzie opened her eyes then wearily, red veins appearing as her eyes were wide in fear, seeing nothing but herself and this Gate. The black figure was gone, Sarah was... gone. All that stood was herself and the Gate. Suddenly, a figure stood before her, a grin on its face._

_"Well well. We have ourselves someone that does not belong at the Truth. What do you want?" it asked curiously._

_"Where am I? Who are you?!" Lizzie demanded._

_"I am Truth. And you, you are at The Gate. Do you wish to return to your world? Or maybe, you just want to see what's beyond this Gate." Truth bargained._

_"No way. Just let me go home.. I want nothing to do with this.. this Gate. NOTHING!" Lizzie refused, and suddenly she felt her mind go blank and her vision gone completely._

_"Sweet dreams." Truth hissed with a laugh, and soon Lizzie found herself swirling in darkness as her mind soon found rest... but for how long?..._

S-E-W-E-R-S

As the blinding flash finally disappeared, everyone saw three lying figures out cold. To the near right there was Sarah, she seemed to be in pretty deep shock. The middle, there was just a black figure, breathing irregularly as it wheezed. Finally, to the far left Lizzie was on the concrete part of the circle, blood began to form around her arm. She seemed outcold, but also not moving... Lys, Ren, and Leo rushed over to Lizzie while Mustang and some other military crew went to check out the black thing... Riza, who was able to make it in time, went to check on Sarah.

Leo was the first to get to Lizzie, tapping her and shaking her shoulder to wake her up. Nothing happened, and she was just... lying there like a ragdoll chewed up and spit out. He gulped once, and then turned her on her back. Looking over, he could notice that some stray tears were formed out of the corner of her eyes. Wondering what to do next, he angrily bit his lip, wishing he was stronger.

"Elric.. Hey! Wake up! Damnit you're stronger than this! GET UP!" Leo practically shouted. Eyes closed still, Leo checked her pulse on her wrist. It was slow and faint, but fading as well... Oh well, there was still a chance to save her.

"Sis!" Lys cried as she rushed to Lizzie's side. She looked at Leo who seemed speechless, sweat rolling down his face.

"Oh God... She's not-... we have to do something!" Lys practically shrieked. Leo immediately began pushing down on Lizzie's chest to keep the blood flowing.

"Damnit, Elric. Don't die! C'mon, breathe!" Leo angrily shouted. Lys turned to Leo, having a good feeling that Leo liked her sister. "Check her pulse." Leo ordered. Lys agreed quickly, feeling Lizzie's wrist.

"It's still there, but it's still faint.." Lys whispered. Leo pushed against Lizzie's chest again, and slowly brought his face down to hers. Lys watched as Leo gave mouth-to-mouth. The "kiss" lasted a few seconds before Lys felt Lizzie's pulse start to pick up.

"It's working! Leo, it's working!" Lys exclaimed, but then giggled when she realized that Leo wasn't paying attention. All of a sudden, Lizzie's hand twitched once and her eyes opened, wearily and blurrily seeing Leo's relieved face about two inches away from hers.

"Well well, Major. Glad to see your face." Leo smirked, raising her chin slightly with his finger. Lizzie blushed for a moment with a smile, but then quickly regained herself, slapped Leo's hand away, and shoved him to the ground.

"EW yuck! I have Leo germs in my mouth! Blech blehh!!! DISGUSTING!! SOMEONE GIVE ME SOME MOUTH WASH!" Lizzie dramatically spazzed, spitting into the sewer waters. Leo had a vein pop.

"Hey, it was mouth-to-mouth! I just SAVED your life!" Leo roared angrily. As Roy and Riza saw their son and Lizzie fight, they stared with small grins on their faces. Mustang chuckled softly.

"Gee. You'd think they were a married couple. Chattering and bickering away like angry squirrels fighting over the same nut." Mustang said with a laugh, and Riza smiled softly.

"I'm sure they'd make a great pair." Riza complimented and Roy nodded.

"You're right. Leo _does _need a woman in his life." he commented and Riza hit him over the head. "Owww..." he groaned a little bit and then smirked with Riza smiling back at him.

Full-----Metal-----Alchemist

"Well.. what else could I have done?!" Leo shouted angrily. For a moment, Lizzie was silent.

"...I dunno. You coulda let me die.." Lizzie replied softly, looking away and towards the ground off to the side. Leo blinked in disbelief for a moment, and stood, facing away from her with a blush across his face.

"C'mon... You really think I'd just _let_ you die? You may be a pain for me, but still that doesn't mean I...well, yeah.. You get what I'm saying." he scoffed and Lizzie felt her mouth drop slightly. Just a little before closing it again. He opened his eyes then, turned, blushed, and quickly faced away again. "B-besides, people are depending on you. Like your sister, and your old man." Leo added, finally walking off. For a few moments, Lizzie blushed and then stood up weakly as she looked around. She saw the black shadow figure in a slump, officers surrounding it. Her eyes then spoted Sarah in Riza's arms.

"Sarah!" she called, immediately rushing over to the two. "Miss Riza, is she all right?" Lizzie asked, concerned. Riza smiled weakly.

"I think she's just in shock. She will... hopefully be fine after a few days.." Riza said quietly. Lizzie felt a lump in her throat. _Hopefully_? What the hell did that mean? That it was only a slim possibility Sarah would be okay?

"Ane-samaa..." Sarah mumbled suddenly, fidgeting slightly.

"Here." Riza said softly, placing Sarah in Lizzie's arms. Lizzie stared guiltily at the small little bundle in her arms now. After all that had happened, why wouldn't Sarah be "okay" after today? Her mother was gone... her dog was slaughtered... that _thing_ claiming to be her grandfather was just a... a _thing_... Lizzie suddenly bent her head low to Sarah's ear.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry Sarah... About all of this... I'm sorry.. so sorry.." Lizzie whispered, starting to feel tears fall. She had to be strong though, what was she? A crybaby? She was 16 so... so couldn't she just be strong? Just this once? She had to but... now it was just too hard. Lizie dropped to the ground and cried with Sarah, silently crying with her.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." Lizzie kept saying, tone growing louder. What more was there to say but apologize over and over again? There were no "it's going to be okay" or any of that crap... Why? Why? Why?! The rest of the military officers just watched sadly in silence. Lys simply walked over to her sister, giving her a hug.

"Why did this have to happen? Is alchemy really such a danger to those who seek to be like gods?... How corrupting it is... when knowing forbidden alchemy can bring you love, and your family back from the grave..." Lys said to herself, wondering in her mind, wishing that this nightmare would soon end quickly... but... it didn't...

5-----Days-----Later

Lizzie awoke as the sun was shining near the window. She turned, seeing Sarah peacefully next to her. A sad smile crosed Lizzie's face as she gently nudged the small child.

"Sarah... it's time to get up. It's morning now." Lizzie said sweetly. Sarah immediately opened her eyes, yawned, got up, and scuttled downstairs without a word. Lizzie sighed, a sad look on her face. It had been 5 days since the alchemy incident. The day after the incident, the black creation was disposed of, shot to death as Colonel Mustang had put it. Burried about ten feet underground. Every morning was the same now... Lizzie and Lys decided it would be best to stay with Sarah for a few days before leaving for Lior.

"Morning Sis, Sarah." Lys said, trying to sound cheerful. Sarah just took her seat at the table while Lizzie just smiled slightly, a crooked smile. A forced smile.. Lys walked by her sister now, whispering as she went by.

"Fuhrer called. Wants a status report. Here's the number." Lys said, slipping a small folded paper into Lizzie's pocket. Lys went on to making breakfast in the kitchen now. Lizzie took out the small paper, and stared at it for a moment, finally dialing the number. It rang a couple of times before...

"Riza Mustang, speaking."

"H-hello, Miss Riza... Is Colonel there?"

"Oh, Lizzie. Yes he's right here." Short pause...

"Mustang speaking. Satus report." Colonel spoke sternly.

"It's still the same sir. She doesn't talk... only listens. Does whatever she's told to do... I'm not sure if she's ever going to come to..." Lizzie said quietly. Short silence.

"Elizabeth, I understand from some of my higher ups, that you and your sister want me to accept the mission of searching for your father... And I approve." Mustang said.

"But sir,"

"Why don't you take Sarah along with you? Sure, it might be a dangerous path you're taking, but I'm sure you're responsible enough." Another pause. Was Lizzie haering right? Maybe Mustang wasn't all that bad as she thought..

"S-sir, you're serious?" Lizzie was actually overjoyed as she asked.

"Yes. Now, is there anything you'd like to ask me?" Lizzie could just see Mustang smirk.

"Well, I've been asking around and all, and everyone says you'll know where my dad is so... Do you know where he is?" Lizzie asked with a gulp. There was a very long pause before Lizzie heard Mustang sigh. It was the first time she actually saw him in her mind look dissapointed.

"Kid, your dad isn't _here_, so to speak." Mustang said.

"Well duh. Of course he isn't _here_. You're making no sense Colonel." Lizzie said, slightly annoyed. Mustang let out another sigh again.

"It's hard to say, hard to explain." Mustang said. Now Lizzie became a little stubborn.

"Hmph. So you're saying he's not in Central? Lior? Xenotime? Rush Valley? Dublith?" Lizzie questioned, annoyed.

"I'm saying he's not _**here**_. Take my words to heart Major. Now then, today; you, Sarah, and Lys come by my office at 12." Mustang said, and with that he abruptly hung up, leaving Lizzie to hear the long beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep ringing until she hung up. Looking at the clock, it read 10:30. She smiled slightly, and then walked over to the table. Sitting across from Sarah who just stared at her plate, Lizzie looked up to the ceiling for a moment. Maybe if Sarah came with them, then she'd be happier.

"Sarah, we're going to Central today, all right?" Lizzie said, and Sarah just nodded as she fuddled with her napkin. Lizzie prayed to God that Sarah would be okay.. somehow, someway... at least in the future if not now, some close future. Lys came out with the food all ready, and served it. The three girls ate quietly, rarely speaking... As time moved on, the clock finally struck 11:55. The three exited the silent mansion and walked to Central, all quiet as they walked...

C-E-N-T-R-A-L

"Now I'm sure at least you, Elizabeth, know why all three of you are here." Mustang said, pacing in front of them left from right.

"Of course. We're here because it's time we got a move on to Lior, Colonel." Lizzie spoke up, seeing from the corner of her eyes Sarah's worried look and Lys's suprised one.

"That's correct. I realize now though that if you leave, we will not have anyone to care for Sarah at this moment... She will need to be put in foster care at least when you leave." Mustang replied.

"Sis you can't be serious! We're just going to leave Sarah here?!" Lys cried in disbelief.

"Lys, you and I both know that under Colonel Mustang's jurisdiction he has passed our request to go search for dad. I can always go without you and you stay with Sarah." Lizzie said softly. Lys was faced with a tough decision.

"But still.. it's not fair! You're not being fair again!" Lys defended.

"Lys, it's not your call." Lizzie answered calmly.

"Don't I get a say in this?!" Sarah spoke up. Everyone stared at her, and Lizzie smiled. "Don't I get to say what I want?! I mean... everything's just happened all at once and now I find out you're just leaving?! I mean... can't I.. can't I come with you?!" Sarah pleaded. Good, so Sarah would want to come with them. Lizzie bent down to Sarah now, and smiled, putting her hands on the small girl's shoulders.

"I can guarentee you Sarah, that if you come with us there will be danger involved. I don't want you to get hurt, but if you want to come with us you're going to have to be on my ground rules." Lizzie joked with a smirk.

"I want to come! Please let me come? I don't want to be stuck here!" Sarah pouted, and Lizzie laughed.

"Well all right. You're coming with us. Pack your bags Sarah, we're leaving today at the train station around 1." Lizzie said and then soluted as the three girls walked out. Mustang smiled, and then looked out his window.

"Roy, do you think that was a good idea? Letting those three go by themselves? They're just children." Riza said when the girls had left. Mustang raised a hand with a laugh.

"Don't worry Riza. I've sent Leo undercover to follow them so no harm should come to the girls. Let's just hope they can find their father and bring him home. I'm curious to see what Fullmetal has been up to after all these years. After all, even with the Gate sealed shut from both worlds.." Mustang said, and walked over to a bookcase, taking one out. Suddenly, the bookcase turned to show a lower part of the military base. He stepped inside, and bid adieu to his wife. "That doesn't mean it can't be opened ever again. I'll see you soon. Time to try to pay a visit to Amestris." he said and with that the elevator took him far below to the underground city where the Gate had been sealed.. Riza sighed, and then decided to do some paper work.

"I hope Leo will be all right... and I hope Roy will be okay. Trying to open the Gate himself, that fool." Riza said to herself as she began to fill out the paper work for Lizzie and Lys.

T-R-A-I-N--S-T-A-T-I-O-N

"Hey Lizzie! Hurry up! The train's going to leave if you don't get your butt on it! HURRY UP!" Lys called from the window, seeing her sister struggling with snacks.

"I'm coming, I'm coming already!" Lizzie called back, rushing over. She handed the snacks to Lys at the window, and then boarded the train. She walked over to the two, and sat down as she looked at their luggage. Lys had used her own bag to pack some extra clothes for herself, while Sarah had a backpack stuffed with some pictures and stuffed animals galore. Lizzie had her suitcase, clothes and everything in there. She remembered what Elicia had told her. _'It might not even be a smooth trail to get to Lior...'_ the words echoed in her mind. If Lior would be trouble, then the two sisters would just need disguises and different clothes... Well, Lizzie mainly. She knew her coat and outift would shout out Edward Elric's heir.

"Ane-samaaa..." Sarah whined.

"Hngh? Yes, Sarah?" Lizzie asked.

"What are we going to do when we get to Lior?" Sarah asked curiously.

"We're going to ask about our father... and after that... well, I dunno really ahahah... The point is, if there's something going on we'll investigate it. If there needs to be more in Lior we'll do it. After all, Lys and I are state alchemists now, so it's our duty. Sarah, will that be all right?" Lizzie asked and Sarah nodded.

"Of course! I'm glad I could travel with you Ane-sama." Sarah said happily, and placed her head on Lizzie's arm, closing her eyes and going to sleep very quickly. Lizzie smiled, and then turned to Lys with a broad grin.

"Wow. You sure have a way with little kids." Lys complimented.

"Really? I used to scare them all the time back at Risenbool." Lizzie chuckled slightly, finally turning to the window. It would be a long trip before reaching Lior... The three still had to travel across the desert... Oh well, at least the train would give them a boost to reach Lior... Until then, it was time to rest and figure out a plan of what to exactly do in Lior... After all, how much could happen in Lior to change it entirely?

E-N-D--O-F--C-H-A-P-T-E-R--8 

**End-----Of-----Central-----Saga**

Me: yeaaah, let me tell ya Lior is going to change BIG TIME. well, sorta lol.

Lizzie: how so?...

Me: you'll see!

Sarah: Ane-samaaaaaa... I'm hunggry!!

Lizzie: Hey writer, go get us sandwhiches!

Me: what am I ur waitress? I don't think so!

Lys: I'll go get the sandwhiches! -runs-

Me: hm. anywho, chapter 9 will be coming soon, and so ends the central saga! on with the lior saga! and yes there shall be conflict! and MUCH conflict in xenotime, since the rebellion and all... i'm thinking of having armstrong in the next chapter cause of his selfless gift he gave to Lior and some other ocs of mine that are both good and bad guys (ooh's and aaah's in backround). so anyways, yeah that's pretty much it. lol. i hope you liked the central saga! stay tuned for the Lior saga! please R&R:) -Silver


	9. Stop 2: Lior

A/N: wow. this is possibly the shortest chapter i've done so far. 13 pages, whoo hoo! anyways, thanks for sticking with my story so far everyone, i am greatly appreciating ur reviews! keep 'em comin! ;p anyways, on with chapter 9!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own FMA. I heart Hughes! (squee, HUGHES!)

**Chapter 9: Stop 2. Lior**

The engine and whistle blew as the train had finally stopped at the station not too far from Lior. As everyone departed, both Sarah and Lys waited for Lizzie outside who was still on the train. Sarah seemed to be bored, singing a tune to herself while Lys kept looking at her watch every two seconds. Okay okay, every two minutes.

"Heyyy! Guys over here!" Lizzie called. Both Sarah and Lys turned, and immediately Sarah's face lit up with a surprised smile while Lys's face stared in surprise with an awestruck look on her face.

"S-Sis! You're.. wow! You're amazing! You should do this more often!" Lys complimented and Lizzie blushed.

"Well cause of the rebellion and all, I think I should keep this look for now. I have everything stored inside my suitcase, watch and all." Lizzie replied with a laugh. Lizzie was wearing her ripped jean pants, white sneakers, and her red tank top. Her hair went to her shoulder blades. Lizzie blushed, stubbornly having a slight frown on her face.

"L-Let's just go already. I packed a lot of water so we should be okay." Lizzie said, and without word she started walking. Both Lys and Sarah giggled as they ran alongside Lizzie, teasing her on her looks and complimenting her. Lizzie just rolled her eyes all the way through the desert.

D-E-S-E-R-T

It had been about 10 minutes since the 3 had left the train station, and already Sarah was wailing she as tired. Lizzie and Lys stared at eachother worriedly. They had forgotten about Sarah's age difference, knowing little kids could sometimes be a handful. Still, they knew that Sarah had to cooperate with them if they ever wanted to get anywhere with finding their dad.

"Sarah, we're almost there so hang tough. This is just a part of the adventure we're taking." Lizzie explained.

"O-okay Ane-sama. I'll do my best!" Sarah replied confidently, and took off running. Lizzie smiled as she walked alongside Lys. The two watched happily as Sarah would turn, wait a while, then run off again to always have a head start.

"It's great to see Sarah all perked up again in such a matter of seconds. I just hope that we won't put her in any danger. We still have to get through Xenotime." Lys said, turning to her sister with worried eyes. Lizzie stared at Lys for a moment, and then watched as Sarah continued to run ahead of them, a smile on her face. Lizzie smiled, and winked with a grin.

"Don't worry. I'll protect her, and you. I won't let anything bad happen to you guys. You can depend on me I promise!" Lizzie said, ruffling her sister's hair a bit. Lys blinked with wide eyes for a moment, but just smiled silently.

"Ane-samaaaaaa! Lysssyy!!! Lior's just ahead slowpokes!" Sarah called. As Lys and Lizzie ran up to Sarah, they kept walking until they finally reached Lior in minutes.

L---I---O---R

Lior sure was a bustling city, expanded and very lively. Almost every person living in Lior was out and about, laughing and having a good time.

"Woooooow!" Sarah exclaimed as she ran around, visiting people who welcomed her warmly.

"Lior sure is different. I haven't been here in 13 years." Lizzie said, amazed.

"You came here when I wasn't even born yet. How much has it changed?" Lys asked curiously as the two walked through the city, watching Sarah run off from one place to that. Lizzie looked around seeing how buildings were bigger and improved, the huge square fountain filled with wine now had two smaller wine filled ones beside it. The church of the sun god Leto was... destroyed. Lizzie smiled shortly.

"Well for one, Lior's gotten... _advanced_. I mean, Uncle Armstrong started it off with giving a shop owner his own creation of a shop.." Lizzie said, pointing. There it was, in all of its sparkling glory. The huge Armstrong statue with it's one sparkle and big muscles stood, below the many lights above as the new owner was selling beer and wine. As Sarah came back to Lizzie and Lys, the three walked around the city seeing some people with automail; some more than others. _'These people... were they caught up in the rebellion?'_ Lizzie wondered to herself, holding her briefcase tightly. _'Did mom come here?'_ she then thought. _'Did she know about this rebellion all along and never wanted to tell us in the first place?' _

As the three girls walked around a little more, Lizzie decided it was time for some snooping.

"Hey you guys, wait by the fountain. I'll get you some drinks so be right back." Lizzie said, heading over to the bar that was now Armstrong's heavenly and loving "gift between friends" as he had put it so long ago. As she reached the bar, the owner looked at her with expectant eyes. He wore a red cap over his head and had a small beard and wore an apron.

"Got anythin' non alchoholic?" Lizzie asked.

"Soda count?" the man asked.

"Good enough. Two sodas, one water please." Lizzie replied and then took something out of her pocket, the picture of her dad. As the man carried the drinks over, Lizzie held the photo to his face. "Have you seen this man? He probably doesn't look like that anymore, but relatively like that." Lizzie asked. Both Sarah and Lys looked up abruptly when they heard the glasses and drinks splatter. The fountain and the bar weren't too far from eachother.

"Don't worry, she'll be fine." Lys reassured Sarah who wanted to go and investigate.

T-H-E--B-A-R

"That rebellious rascle?! Hell no! I would never want to see that scum's face here ever again as long as I live! He's the reason why so many of us have lost our lives, and on top of that he was of the State! What a bastard that kid was!" the man said angrily, then staring at Lizzie. "Why do you wanna know where he is? You related to him? Anyone related to that damned fool will be kicked out of here for good!" he asked. Lizzie looked at the ground for a moment.

"I want to find him because, because I just have to! I mean, if he started this rebellion I want to put a stop to it and find him! If anyone, I'm sure Elric will be able to fix this all!" Lizzie managed. The owner looked suspicious for a moment, and shrugged his shoulders.

"The last time I saw that kid was when I was just a lad, about 6 or so... I remember, my uncle owned this shop (before it was turned into a bloody wreck cause of that Armstrong fellow) and served the own devil! Why, I think he went to Father Cornello's church, and then left. After that all Hell broke loose, the State becoming involved in a bloody war that happened not too long after. We were lucky to escape with our lives.. my mum and me." he said. Clearly this man was of english heritage.

"I see... But Cornello's church has been torn down. Why?" Lizzie asked.

"Word has it that Elric turned Cornello against us, having a whole war break out between the State and the people of Lior. Rose, a nice woman of this city, was the one who protected me and the rest of my friends... The last time I saw her was when she was taken away to the military with some strange man... I wonder where she is now, I still never got to thank her." the owner explained. Lizzie's eyes widened for a moment, and then she smiled.

"I.. I know Rose.. Rose Thomas, right?" Lizzie asked. The man blinked for a second.

"Y-yeah, how'd you-"

"She's like my aunt, I live with her and my mother and sister. Elizabeth E...Rockbell." Lizzie introduced.

"Well! Small world! Rockbell, huh? Your mom passed by here a few days ago, treating us all with automail. I'm so glad my son was able to have automail, he lost his leg and eye. Your mom is a real automail engineer that's all I can say!"

"And she rocks!" another piped in. The group laughed, and Lizzie smiled.

"Would you be so kind as to tell me where my mother was headed?" Lizzie asked.

"Well, she did say somethin' about goin' deeper into the warzone to treat those with wounds. Whether it be rebel or military. She just wants to help everyone. I have to say though, she did say if she made it she'd be headin' to Rush Valley." the man replied. Lizzie nodded for a moment. _'So, mom's going to Rush Valley? Why would she help both rebels and military soldiers?... Who's the real enemy if she helps both sides? And... will she make it out alive?'_ Lizzie thought.

"Hey uh, Elizabeth. Elizabeth!" the man said, snapping a finger in front of her face.

"Y-yes?" she asked abruptly.

"Back to that Elric punk. I think that he did also go to Xenotime. Met up with some Tringham siblings and got them to side with him. They're in hiding right now all the way out there, claiming they never knew Ed. I'm sure you could get answers from them too." he said and Lizzie nodded as she bowed, putting the photo away.

"Thanks for the information sir. Here." she said, giving him money once he came back with the drinks.

"No problem. You tell Rose that Jeremy said "Thank You", after all these years." Jeremy said with a grin, and Lizzie nodded.

"Will do. Bye!" she said and ran back to Lys and Sarah. As she came to them, drinks in hand, the three sat down on the ledge of the fountain.

"So, what took you so long?" Lys asked as she took a sip from her soda. Sarah seemed to be blowing bubbles in hers.

"Sarah, don't do that. Do you want to finish it or not?" Lizzie teased, and then turned to Lys. "I asked about dad, and about mom. The man up there was kind enough to tell me mom was here, and that she's moved ahead to Xenotime, and hopefully she'll be at Rush Valley. As for dad... he told me that Xenotime is where he also stopped by, making friends who are in hiding. If we can find them in Xenotime, I'm sure they'll give us a lead." Lizzie explained.

"Great! But Sis, you do realize that we have to report everything to Colonel Mustang, right?" Lys asked, taking another sip. Lizzie just stared up in the clouds. _'Am I one step closer to finding you? How long are you going to have me go out on a wild goosechase? What have you done to my present? Why'd you have to go and do all of these things, just to make my life miserable... Hmph... I guess, now who's being the selfish one?'_ Lizzie thought, and simply smirked to herself. Before Lys could ask again, Sarah tugged on Lizzie's pant leg.

"Ane-sama! Look over there!" Sarah called, pointing. She finished her soda and set the glass on the edge of the fountain. Lizzie turned to see a crowd start to form around a man that seemed to try and give a speech. How long had this man been there?

"Aw crap. It's the State. Again!" Jeremy cursed as he slammed his fist down on the counter, getting out of his bar. Both sisters looked to see the muscular man give a speech as Lior's people began to crowd around him and the microphone. It seemed like a meeting was taking place..

"Hm. Let's go check it out." Lizzie said and the three walked over to the roaring crowd.

C-I-T-Y--S-Q-U-A-R-E

"Sarah, hold on to my hand and don't let go." Lizzie said and Sarah nodded, squeezing tightly. Pushing their way through the get a better look, they could hear the crowd scream in anger and rage at the person trying to comprimise. When both sisters looked up, they gasped.

"Sis, it's Uncle! He's here!" Lys exclaimed, all to have Lizzie cover her sister's mouth.

"Ssh! We don't want to get caught and give away our identities. We're part of the State now too remember?" Lizzie whispered. Sarah just seemed lost with all of this. The there girsl watched as Armstrong seemed to try and give a speech, all to have it in vein as the sea of people crashed down on him like a tidal wave.

"Please! People of Lior, settle! All I'm saying, is that if we can have those of you who are willing to join the military, we can put an end to this war!" Armstrong shouted.

"You were once part of this town! You should have never gone back to the State!" a person screamed. _'Uncle resigned from the Military once? Why'd he choose to go back?..' _Lizzie thought, mind racing.

"You want _us_ to risk our lives?!" another roared in disbelief.

"We've already lost many! Some injured beyond repair! It's a good thing that automail engineer passed by, otherwise we'd all be dead! GO BACK TO THE STATE!" a man roared, raising his automail arm up high in the air. Both sisters looked at eachother, speechless. So, their mother did come by Lior, all to have left and gone somewhere else..

"Who the hell wants to be a dog of the military anyways?! The good you did for us last time was Hell!" an older teenager shouted. Last time? What happened last time? At the rate this was going, Lior in no time would probably become a part of the rebels... was there any possibility they'd be a part of the State? Lizzie frowned, staring at the ground, her bangs covering her eye. _'Hmph... either way, they still might get hurt, or even die.. Why'd dad have to go and be a rebel?'_ Lizzie thought.

"Stop thinking of the past! The military wants to stop the war as much as you do! Please, all I ask is that maybe you people could help us win this war!" Armstrong protested.

"No way! I'd never give myself to serve the State! They killed my father and uncle! Shot them to DEATH!" a woman shrieked, covering her child's ears.

"Yeah!" another agreed. "What has the military done for us that was able to have us benifit? Nothing but misery and woe!" he spat.

"People of Lior! I was from here, and I am a dog of the military! Here I am, trying to defend all of you! Please, reconsider!" a new voice called, deep and barratoned. Lizzie turned to see a familiar face before her. She couldn't believe her eyes.. Standing in front of her now was Ray. Lys saw him too, just gulping silently. Ray had changed a little bit the last time Lizzie had seen him. His hair had been pushed to the right side, but that was mainly his bangs making his hair look wavy, still having his mother's eyes. A short two-second silence came before anger reared its ugly head again.

"That's YOUR fault then! State dog bastard!" a man cried, and suddenly started to throw objects at poor Ray who seemed helpless. Lizzie clenched a fist, and raised her head to the sky with a loud scream. She had had enough of this whole bickering session.

**"ENOUGH!"** she roared, having everyone turn to her. _'Hello Iron Lungs.'_ she thought with a smirk. She turned to Sarah and Lys, nodding to signal them to stay put where they were. Managing to keep a straight face, Lizzie marched up to Armstrong and Ray, suitcase in hand as she ignored whispers coming from the crowd. As she was finally up on stage, Ray was the first to speak as he walked over to her.

"M-miss, please, I think-"

"Shattup officer and let me speak. I've had enough of this sensless arguing and pleading." Lizzie snapped. She then turned to the crowd, having Armstrong take hold of her arm lightly. He stared down at her.

"Please, let us handle this my dear." Armstrong said. Lizzie just brushed past him now and faced the crowd, staring into their eyes.

"People of Lior! We're all caught up in this damned rebellion! I don't know how it started, but I do know it has to stop!" Lizzie shouted. A quiet murmur was sent through the crowd. "...I dunno, maybe war isn't the best, but at least they're trying!" Lizzie continued, pointing to Armstrong and Ray. "The military is risking their lives too to end this stupid rebellion! At least they're doing _something_! Trying to put things on the right path instead of one that's all screwed up and having blood being shed!" Lizzie said, and then turned around, her back facing the crowd. She bent down and opened her suitcase. Armstrong's eyes widened. Lizzie took out Ed's jacket, and put it on, showing the whole crowd Ed's symbol. A loud gasp went through the crowd. Lizzie stood, and then put her pocketwatch around her neck.

"Elizabeth is... Elizabeth Elric?!" Jeremy gasped, mouth wide open.

"L-Liz.." Armstrong said, mouth agape. Lizzie smiled, putting her hair in a braid. She finally turned back to the crowd.

"I dunno about you guys, but Lieutenant General!" Lizzie said abruptly, turning to Armstrong and saluting. "Sign me up! I'm fighting in this war alongside you, and you can't change my mind! That's right! Sign me up! Elizabeth Elric, reporting Sir!" Lizzie grinned as she soluted, eyes burning with flare and determination; just like Edwards. As if on cue, both Lys and Sarah rushed up to them.

"Count us in too, Uncle! Sarah Tucker and Alyssa Elric reporting!" Lys exclaimed as she soluted as well, with Sarah raising a small fist in the air. Another murmur was sent through the crowd.

"Do you see that? Kids! Children, ready to put their lives on the line!" a woman said, a worried look on her face.

"It's amazing! How can they be so willing?!" another wondered. Finally, a low silence came, and soon one man spoke up as he walked up slowly to the stage.

"C-count me in, as well sir. I'll do my best. I know how to do healing alchemy, if it helps." the man said, saluting. Armstrong was amazed at what three children could do for this city as more and more people began enlisting in the fight against the rebels. As the three girls stepped to the side, Ray came over to them and rubbed a hand over Lizzie's head.

"Well Liz, it's been a long time. You've grown, haven'tcha?" Ray said with a grin. Lizzie smirked.

"Your mom said hi." Lizzie replied, and Ray smiled.

"Tell her I love her, and I'll be coming home soon after this rebellion is over." he said, and then noticed Sarah who was hiding behind Lys. "And who is this lovely lady?" he asked sweetly, bending down to smile at Sarah.

"This is Sarah Tucker. She's going to be travelling with us." Lys explained.

"She's not really going to be fighting in the war though Ray. It's too risky." Lizzie said before Ray could even asked.

"But Ane-sama!"

"Don't argue, Sarah. I'm doing this for your safety." Lizzie said and Sarah nodded with a sigh. Ray laughed, and the four seemed to talk for ages. Lizzie almost felt herself laugh like old times, feeling like she was at home when Ray didn't leave, just like the good old days they always had... As evening came (around 6:15 pm), Lys, Sarah, and Lizzie stayed at the hotel at Lior. They were basically watching T.V by now when the door to their room rang. Seeing that it was Ray, he requested to talk with Lizzie privately. Lizzie agreed, and told Sarah and Lys to stay where they were until she got back.

C-I-T-Y--S-Q-U-A-R-E

"So, how's the status in Xenotime? I'm assuming that's where the war is being held.." Lizzie asked as the two sat down near the wine fountain. Ray sighed, and scratched the back of his head.

"Truth?" he asked, and Lizzie nodded silently. "It's bad, Liz. People dying, screams, children and women dead in front of my eyes... I'm one of the few lucky ones to make it out of there alive. The rebels have spread, overpowering the military as it's lessening to a mere few dozen. Armstrong is the only one who can use alchemy affectively." Ray explained. Lizzie clenched a fist angrily.

"Damn. Can't you maybe, learn?" Lizzie asked.

"If we did that, then it'd take too long." Ray replied with a soft chuckle. Lizzie took a deep breath, and then grinned.

"Well, you have two more great alchemists on your side. It's all in Xenotime?" Lizzie asked.

"Actually... truth is, the rebels were planning on coming to Lior to make them rebels too against the military. We were lucky to make it in time... The war will spread her I bet..." Ray replied. Lizzie was silent for a moment, but the question she wanted to ask bugged her as she angrily fidgeted. "What's on your mind?" Ray asked with a laugh.

"D-did you see mom?" Lizzie asked. Before Ray could answer though, there were screams suddenly coming from Lior's entrance.

"C'mon. We gotta check it out now, we'll chat again later." Ray immediately said as Lizzie agreed, the two sprinting down the road to see what was all the commotion. As the two reached the entrance, they saw the men, women, children, military members, and Lys and Sarah standing away slightly, watching as trucks sped down the desert road. Everyone screamed, running out of the way as the three trucks sped down and rammed into Lior's wine fountain, having the wine water make a huge splash as it literally (from the force of the alchemified truck) shot up into the air way up high.

Everyone watched in awe as the women were in front of their children, the men with their weapons and the military soldiers their guns. Finally, a teenager around the age of 22 came out, red hair and purple eyes.

"Well well. Looks like the military scum beat us to it. People of Lior, my name is Strider Marxene. You can just call me the Rebel Leader though, once I take over your poor, pathetic city! Bwahahaha!" the boy introduced himself, finally adding a maniacle cackle as his followers also made their appearance. There were about seven distinct ones, while the rest were in their own rebel outfits. There were 2 women, 1 man, 2 other teens, and 1 child around Lys's age. The first woman had purple hair and blue eyes, the other had dirty blonde hair and chocolate colored eyes. The man of about 32 had dark brown hair, and golden eyes. The two teens were a muscular man of 19 with a bald head and beady gray eyes, while the other was a 17 year old boy who was fit and skinny. This lad had peacock green spiky hair and sunglasses. The 13 year old child wore a cap hiding his right, red colored eye. He had navy colored hair.

"This'll be fun. I'm going to look foward to fighting off these military shitheads." Strider said to himself, laughing again. Everyone winced as the wine water finally dropped from the sky, like blood red rain... What was this strange, eery feeling Lizzie had in the pit of her stomach? Well, whatever it was.. IT wasn't good...

E-N-D--O-F--C-H-A-P-T-E-R--9

Lizzie: -shakes head-

Me: what?

Lizzie: language, language, language. -wiggles a finger-

Me: at least i don't have a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach :p

Lizzie: -cracks knuckles- what was that u said?

Me: ...

Lizzie: That's what I thought. Now, go get me, Lys, and Sarah a sandwhich.

Me: I hate you.

Lizzie: I know you do. Now do it.

Me: -sigh- okay. anyways, everyone i hoped u liked this cliffie chapter and the next one will be cool! fight scene actually, amazin huh? it won't be that... bloody really. it will get bloody at the rebellion site though -smirk- no this is only just a preview of what's to com.e anyways, plz leave a review. have a great evening everyone! -Silver

Lizzie: ugh i just HATE that! "have a good day", "have a good day", "have a good day", UGH! You sound like a frickin' cash register motormouth!

Me: I said have a "GREAT EVENING". and do u want your sandwhich or not? -eye twitch-

Lizzie: -whimpers, puppy eyes- yess! Sandwhich!


	10. REBELS

A/N: wow. this is truly the shortest chapter so far. 11 pgs.. holy cow. anyways! u're gonna get a taste of some fight scene, but the main scene will come in Xenotime hehee. anyways, on with chapter 10! Arigatou, please leave a review.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own FMA. I think Nina is adowable!! KAWAII ALL THE WAY!

**Chapter 10: Rebels First Appearance**

Strider smirked, licking his lips as the wine tasted so good to him. It almost seem as if he was drinkin blood right now, making Lizzie's stomach worsen. His other companions just sneered with a laugh.

"People of Lior! I'm Strider. With me are my other companions! Introduce yourselves, crew." Strider said with a laugh.

"Lina." the woman with purple hair said, blue eyes piercing like a hawks.

"Peter." the man said sternly.

"Greg..." the teenager who was muscular and bald with just a blue shirt and black pants said shyly.

"Evan." the boy with peacock green spiky hair with the sunglasses introduced with a laugh.

"Skye." the other woman with dirty blonde hair said, flipping her bangs out of her face for a moment.

"And that's Willie Boy." Strider pointed to the small child.

"I told you, it's WILL! **WILL!**" Will angrily wailed. There seemed to be a silence brewing once the introductions were done with. Only one brave man was able to speak, clutching his weapon as he shook.

"Wh-what do you want?" he asked.

"Why, to join the rebels of course my good man." Peter said with a smile. He seemed to be the polite one, if you didn't get him pissed off that is.

"We'll never join you rebel bastards!" another called, quickly drowned in his own blood as two needles went through his neck. Lina had three more needles in her hand.

"We can do this the hard way, or the easy way." Lina said, seducing.The crowd became stiffined, and afraid. They watched as the rebels had more weapons. Willie B- er, Will, had a hammer in his hand that seemed to pack a punch, Evan had knives, Lina her needles, Greg had bombs, Skye had a rifle, and Peter had his long sword.

"G-get out of here, dirtbag!" a man with a gun roared, his hands trembling. With quick speed, Evan ran up to the man and dislocated his arm. The man screamed, writhing in pain as Evan had his foot on the man's chest.

"That'll teach you to stay in your place, **worm**." Evan glared. Both Ray and Lizzie ran up to the crowd. Strider swore he had seen Edward before him, but then looked down further for a moment. Ed was... a woman?

"Hey, kid. Don't tell me, you're Ed? The rebel alchemist?" Strider asked. Wow... Strider had always pictured Ed to be... muscular, a GUY, and much more cooler...

"I'mma GIRL, and my name is ELIZABETH! AND NEWSFLASH! DO I LOOK **OLD**?!" Lizzie roared, a vein popping. Strider seemed to be in thought for a moment, and then smiled.

"Say, why don't you join us kid? You look to be like a good rebel leader. We could use another one. Whaddaya say? Show these people who the real good guys are." Strider suggested, quickly right next to her, arm around her shoulder. Lizzie quickly took the offensive maneuver, and flipped the teen on his back with a loud thud. Showing him her watch, she smirked as it swayed from side to side, Strider's eyes fixated on the watch.

"Sorry. I'm with the State." Lizzie said simply. Strider grimaced, kicking her off of him in the gut. Stunned for a moment, Lizzie landed with a thud on her back with Sarah and Lys coming to her side.

"It's ashame. You looked like you had potential." Strider said, his right arm pointed to her chest. "Guess I'll have to kill you instead." Strider added, and revealed his large automail arm, twice the size of his real arm with a built in machine gun inside." Lizzie grimaced, getting up slowly.

"Not on my watch." a voice called as a bullet rang, grazing Strider's arm.

"Wh-what the hell?!" Strider growled, holding his arm as Lizzie looked up to see a boy with a black coat on, the wind blowing the hood away.

"The name's Leo Mustang, and no one is going to beat Silversteel except me." Leo smirked.

"Another State dog! Let's gettim!" Will said angrily, charging. Leo pulled the trigger from his gun, the bullet making contact with Will's cap as it fell to the ground. The boy drew back, shaking as he dropped to the ground. The older woman Skye wrapped her arms around the boy in comfort, staring into Leo's auburn eyes.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you boy. I never miss." Leo said with a smirk. Will gulped, and backed away for a moment. Leo then turned his eyes on to Lizzie. "You all right, Silversteel?" Leo asked, and Lizzie nodded as she got up.

"What are you doing here?!" Lizzie shouted, concern filled her voice.

"Saving your butt." Leo responded as he shot a bullet to Strider's head. Strider used his automail to have the bullet riccochet off and to the ground with a clinking noise. Leo snickered, and then saw the rest of the group surrounding him.

"You're surrounded boy! You shoulda never faced us." Evan said with a grin and all six of them lunged. Without warning, a shield as put up for Leo, surrounding all corners for him. "Damn! Alchemy brat!" Evan angrily cried. As he rushed to Lizzie, she quickly had Lys back her up, sending a rush of spikes toward the teen. Dodging, Evan looked at the two with snake eyes.

"Give it up, rebels." Lizzie said angrily, clapping her hands again. She then saw Skye, aiming her rifle right at Leo. Slapping her hands on the ground, she immediately sent a huge shock wave to Skye, making the bullet fly upwards as it landed far away. Skye went down with a thud, the rifle sliding off to the side. Lys and Lizzie immediately went after it as did Skye, having Sarah to stay with Armstrong and Ray. The three girls rushed foward as Leo shot his own bullets for some of the other enemies. All three of them grabbed hold of the weapon, fighting over it. Lys was out for the count as she was hit in the gut while Skye and Lizzie continued to fight for it. Suddenly, Lizzie felt a hot rush of pain from her side as she saw Peter rush past her, his sword was stained in red...

"LIZZIE!" Lys shouted, watching as her sister fell to the ground with a sickening thud, a small puddle of blood forming around her own body.

"Elizabeth!" Leo angrily roared, his gun aimed at Peter's head. Peter used his own speed to counter the bullet as it richoceted (sp?) off his sword to a civilians arm. Suddenly, all panic broke out as all of the townspeople ran away from the scene. That was when it happened, a massacre would break out..

"Take this you fiends!" Armstrong cried, using his own alchemy as the ground shook and stone pillars uprooted themselves, throwing them toward the enemy. The seven of the teenagers dispersed, fighting against the enemies, and also slaughtering Lior's townspeople. Lizzie couldn't move her body, but she heard screams and cries of women and children... men shouting, and someone calling... to her.

"You! Healsman! Quickly, tend to those who are wounded!" That was Armstrong's voice. Lizzie's eyes opened to see war, seeing people dying in front of her very eyes. Then, she heard another voice.

"Lizzie! Lizzie get up! LIZZIE!" her sister called, her voice screaming out her name as alchemy was sent flying to the opponents. Lizzie turned to see her sister, getting grazed by a needle that Lina had thrown. Lys sent back a full force of alchemic spiked boulders to Lina, all of them to be smashed by Lina's needles. Then, the needles pinned her sister down to a wall as Lina was ready to strike again.

Suddenly, the visions from the Gate flashed in front of Lizzie as her eyes grew wide. So many visions, it made Lizzie's head throb and her eyes reel in the back of her head. All of a sudden, she heard a boy screaming so loudly her ears hurt, finally seeing... blood, blood... Blood! Lizzie's eyes shot open and got up as she looked in total horror. She saw Lina, ready for the final count. _'NO! ALYSSA!!!!'_ Lizzie screamed in her mind as she quickly got up and sent an alchemic blast to the woman. Lina was sent flying upward, and soon Lizzie lost it as her mind toyed with her.. the images wouldn't let her live in peace anymore!

"Stop it! JUST STOP!!" Lizzie angrily roared, and clapped her hands together as she created the dragon from the trial. She then became her title, the SilverSteel Alchemist as she controlled the dragon, roaring angrily as it charged at all the enemies. Jaws wide open, the dragon went for the closest rebel; Will. Will, unable to move out of terror shrieked as the dragon picked him up, crushing the boy in its jaws. Lizzie, her eyes white, glowed in such anguish as the boy's crying grew. Suddenly Will screamed at the top of his lungs as his left arm was dislocated from his body, blood dripping in large quantities on the ground as he sobbed, his voice was becoming scratchy.

"Put him down!" Skye angrily called as she fired the rifle. The rifle's bullets went flying, about ten of them all rebounding from Lizzie's body which was covered in steel, reeling back to Skye. One bullet hit Skye's arm, and she sank to her feet for a moment. Will sobbed as he began to lose conciousness as the blood started to drip down from the teeth of the dragon even more.. Soon he would die out of the loss of blood.

"We'll go if you let the boy go! Don't kill him!" Strider said, retreating from a group of women with their children as his automail was raised. Lizzie seemed to hear, and the dragon brought the sobbing boy down, finally knocked out as he rolled out of the dragons tongue. Skye rushed to him, holding the child like he was her own son.

"Damn. Such a strong girl like you. You shoulda joined us when ya had the chance! NOW LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE!" Evan roared angrily. It seemed these seven had a close bond together. He charged at Lizzie full force with his knives as he threw them, having each one repel off of Lizzie's steel body. Lizzie just turned to Evan, and sent her dragon after him. Claws stretched with the orbs, they made a big glow that blinded the boy as he fell to his knees. As he went down, Gregory threw some of his bombs both big and small to Lizzie. They landed and KABOOM! Buildings fell, Armstrong's gift was totally destroyed (which Armstrong for two seconds cried), and people were smashed beneath.

Enraged, Lizzie came out of the rubble without a scratch on her (so it seemed), and rushed to Gregory. Giving the man a strong punch from her metalicized hand she sent him flying into Strider himself. The two landed with a Thud right near the three trucks. Groaning as they stood, Strider aimed his own automail arm at Lizzie. Lizzie stared into Striders eyes for a moment, and sent her dragon toward him. Firing his cannon, the dragon engulfed the bomb completely as it came.

"WE'LL LEAVE! PLEASE, SPARE US!" Strider actually begged. Inside his mind, he wouldn't let this girl get away with this. He had already seen her hurt many of his companions, and she didn't even know the whole story... Oh well, she was just a child, so how would she understand? The dragon ceased its rampage, and suddenly disappeared as just dust. Lizzie, still coated in silver, stared at Strider.

"Get out." she seethed. Strider scrambled to his feet, and then helped Gregory in as Evan helped Will, and the rest just followed. The whole town was silent, and watched as the cars sped down the streets to the north side of the town. Watching, Lizzie realized they were heading to the direction of where Xenotime lied.. So, they would see eachother again, very soon. Finally, as Lizzie's silver shield returned to the pocketwatch, Lizzie stood there for a moment, silent as a rock. Lys was walking over to her sister, free of the needles that Leo had taken off of her.

"Sis?" Lys asked, a little worried. She could see the wound had gotten worse, blood was staining the outside of Lizzie's red tank top, making it a maroon color. Lizzie said nothing, and suddenly, she swayed until dropping to the ground with a thud. Both Lys and Leo ran over to her, summoning the Healing Alchemist.

"You'll be all right Silversteel. Just hang in there." Leo said, and that's all Lizzie heard before slowly going into another deep sleep...

_D-R-E-A-M-I-N-G_

_'Ugh...not again..' Lizzie thought to herself. Yes, the same dream that kept coming to her every single night, no matter how hard she tried to awaken. She was in the same position as last time, Edward her father was talking to her uncle about having to not leave yet and that alchemy was still needed to be studied. This time, the dream continued to go further._

_"But what about Winry? And Granny Pinako?! It might even be too late to see Granny now.." Alphonse protested._

_"Al, you know as well as I do that alchemy is the only way for us now! We have to keep trying, otherwise we'll never make it home in time!" Ed seethed. Home in time? Time for what? Time to see his kids? Time to see Winry again? Time to make things right?_

_"But Brother, we've been at it for 18 years, and still we haven't found the key! Or the answer! We can't summon it again! We've tried and tried, why not just-"_

_"Just what Al?! You know that we can't do that. I mean, alchemy is our only hope and I'm not giving up!" Ed said, slamming his fist on the desk. A picture fell making a crashing noise. Ed angrily picked it up, and then stared at the picture. It was of himself, Al, and Winry..._

_"Brother... maybe we can find another way besides alchemy. I mean, there has to be a way to open it again. And after opening it, then we can get back home!"_

_Ed turned this time to face Al, and this time Lizzie was finally able to see what her uncle looked like. Al still had his wavy brown hair, but his bangs were curled upward and in front of his right, gray, eye. He looked more like a gentleman compared to Ed, who looked like.. well, you know the story. _

_"There is no other way Al. Alchemy is our only solution. And I have a feeling we're very close to the answer. Soon, very soon we'll be able to-"_

L-I-O-R--H-O-T-E-L

Lizzie awoke abruptly, hearing birds chirping and the sun shining on her face. Closing her eyes again, Lizzie felt a small pain coming from her side. Looking, she saw there was only a lined scar on her side, where Peter had struck. Wondering what was going on, Lizzie turned to the window. Her mouth dropped, and she saw a Lior that was totally destroyed.. "What happened here.." Lizzie wondered to herself, and finally got out of bed.

Yawning, she opened the door to see the hallway and many people that were at the end of the hall. She must have been on the ground floor, because the scent of fresh eggs, bacon, toast, and any other breakfast food entered her nostrils. Following the delicious scent, she came to see that once she entered the small dining room, everyone turned to her and sat in silence. Lizzie looked at almost everyone who stared back at her. Finally, all eyes disappeared from her glance when she saw Leo wave to her in silence. She walked over to him, and sat down. Looking across, she saw Sarah and Lys eating their meal silently.

"You're already up. Thank goodness." Leo said with a smile. Before Lizzie could answer she saw Ray and Uncle Armstrong come over.

"Ah, Elizabeth. Thank heavens you're all right. Here, have some breakfast. You deserve it for what you did yesterday. Driving those rebels out of Lior. It's ashame that the town was half destroyed in the end though.." Armstrong said with a sigh.

"W-wait, destroyed? I helped the town? What did I do yesterday?" Lizzie asked curiously. Armstrong looked at Lizzie in disbelief.

"Why, you don't remember?" Armstrong asked.

"All I remember.. is being struck by Peter's sword and then seeing Lys almost... Lys! Are you okay? Did Lina hurt you? You're all right, right?" Lizzie asked, alarmed.

"Sis I'm fine. You saved my life..." Lys said quietly. Lizzie felt so confused.

"Silversteel, you don't remember your battle experience two days ago?" Leo asked. Two days, she had been asleep two days!

"N-no.. I just remember bleeding on the ground." Lizzie said with a soft chuckle. There was a short silence.

"Liz... you, you used your alchemy and created your dragon. You then were shrouded in silver as you controlled your dragon to get rid of the rebels.. You... tore that kids arm off and thrust Gregory at Strider. They left, but headed toward Xenotime." Leo explained. Lizzie thought for a moment. That's right.. she did remember that part. Somehow, somehow the rebels were leaving in their truck. Suddenly, the images flashed in front of Lizzie's mind. The dragon, Will... his screaming filled her mind and she stared in horror at her plate.

"Elizabeth? Are you all right?" Armstrong asked, concerned. He placed a hand on the girls shoulder who just slapped it away as she cupped her hands over her face.

"Ohmygosh... I... I remember now.. Ohmygosh! I can't believe I.. I did that! I..I...oh God... oh God why'd I go and do that! I don't even remember why I did that! How could I do something like that!" Lizzie cried in disbelief, shaking slightly. Armstrong frowned, and Leo embraced teh poor sobbing girl.

"Sssh... Lizzie, it's okay." Leo said, trying to calm her down.

"No... No it's not okay!" Lizzie replied through muffled tears. "I... I hurt that littl boy!... I...why did I... how could I!" Lizzie sobbed. Leo's embrace tightened as he tried to calm her down, with all attempts failing.

"You can't blame yourself, Liz. You... somehow you weren't truly concious.. or aware of what you were doing at that time. You couldn't control your actions.

"But I... I wrecked the whole city! I caused all this debris and destruction! What about the other lives out there?! What about-"

"That's enough out of you Miss Elric." a voice called. Lizzie turned to see Jeremy look at her. "Miss Elric, you saved us all, and made those rascal rebels leave. Sure, our city is a mess, but that doesn't mean we can't repair and rebuild." he said, walking over to her.

"B-but I-"

"No buts. You saved us, and for that we are thankful." Jeremy interrupted, giving her a smile as he wiped away her tears. Lizzie blinked for a moment, but finally smiled.

"Thank you." she said through a small hiccup. Jeremy nodded in understanding, and then stuffed a waffle in Lizzie's mouth. Laughing at Lizzie's reaction, he gave her a playful wink.

"Eat up. You need your strength for today." he said, and then walked away. After gulping down the waffle, Lizzie turned to the others who smiled sheepishly.

"Ummm... we kinda volunteered to help repair Lior. Then we leave tommorow for Xenotime." Lys explained with a grin.

"Ane-sama! Will you work with me?" Sarah asked in her sweet little tone. Lizzie smiled brightly.

"Course I will. Besides, with all of us rebuilding Lior, it'll be back on track in no time!" Lizzie said with a bright smile. Everyone else smiled with her, and agreed that today they would work their hardest in rebuilding Lior to it's old-new former self. So, even though the first encounter with the rebels ended up in total destruction of the city, today it would be a day of repairation. There was one thing that was kept in Lizzie's mind. _'If I see that boy... Will, again... I promise, I'll apologize. Even if he's a rebel, as young as he is.'_

Me: wow.

Lizzie: I can't believe u.

Me: What?

Lizzie: Did i really have to go balistic? Geez, you're turning me into a horrible heartless monster! -sob sob-

Me: er... ur a big crybaby.

Lizzie: i feel ur sympathy.

Me: ... okay. well anyways, yes the next chapter is of course, the restoration of Lior. And after that it ends the Lior Saga lol. The next Saga would be... -double checks self- Xenotime. Yes, that's where the real war is gonna start. anyways, please leave a message! o yes, and can u guess what the enemies are based on? hehe if u have any questions about them, feel free to PM me or ask it in a review. have a good week everyone. until next week. bye! -Silver


	11. Lior's Restoration

A/N: okay! another short lior chapter. i really wanna get to the xenotime saga! that saga is gonna have romance between liz and leo hehehehhehe. so anyways, without further ado, here's chapter 11. o yea, the dividers might be a little weird. it's either gonna be Full Metal Alchemist or the names of ppl... u'll see, since everything takes place in lior. this would be the funny chapter heheh. hope u like it everybody, please R&R. oh yeah! one more thing! Summer is almost here! yea!!Arigatou!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own FMA. it's a great show i love it! I Heart Armstrong!!.. Even with his weirdness!

**Chapter 11: Lior's Restoration**

"Well? Let's get started!" Lizzie said with a great shout. Everyone nodded with a grin. Jeremy walked over to them to give them their assignments.

"Lizzie, you and Sarah, why don't you pick a good color for the fountain?" Jeremy said with a smile. The fountain had been destroyed, and the color was basically gone and replaced with rubble.

"Yay!" Sarah exclaimed.

"Lys, Leo, and Ray. Can you guys help some of the lost houses please? Also, help some families with their furniture and stuff to move them into the houses." Jeremy said.

"Understood." all three of them said together. Finally, Jeremy turned to Armstrong.

"Uh...Mr. Armstrong... if you would be willing to.."

"OF COURSE MY GOOD MAN! THE GIFT OF GENEROSITY HAS BEEN PASSED DOWN THE ARMSTRONG LINE FOR GENERATIONS UPON GENERATIONS! I WILL GET RIGHT TO IT!" Armstrong said with a laugh, spotlight glowed as sparkles surrounded his face. Jeremy nodded (crying just a little with a few sweatdrops) as he finally walked away. _'I guess my bar won't be the same without the finishing touch.'_ Jeremy thought with a silent smile on his face. As the group started to get to work, Lizzie and Sarah were on a great start.

"Okay Sarah." Lizzie said, finishing transmuting a red fire hydrant. "We have red, blue, green, white, brown, purple, yellow, and orange. Which one do you want to use?" Lizzie asked.

"Hmm... All of them!" Sarah exclaimed.

"I knew you'd say that." Lizzie replied with a laugh.

Ray,-----Lys,-----Leo

"Ready?" Leo said.

"Right. Lift!" Ray responded as the two lifted a heavy couch. They brought it over to the house, and found out the door was too small.

"You sure this your couch ma'am?" Ray struggled.

"Oh yes! It fit last time..." the little elderly lady replied very sweetly. Suddenly, there was a spark as the door grew very wide. Turning, the two boys saw Lys with her hands outstretched. Using her alchemy, Lys grinned.

"I think you won't have any trouble getting through now!" Lys said with a laugh. Ray and Leo nodded with a grin as they moved the couch into the family room. Setting it down gently, they gave a sigh and walked outside. The little lady thanked them about over and over again, and then saw Lys walk over to them.

"Major Alyssa!" a military soldier called, having Lys turn around.

"Yes?" she asked politely.

"Your assistance is requested at the rebuilding site. We could use your alchemy." the officer said sheepishly. "Armstrong is helping out the civilians and the bar... So if you could.."

"Of course! Ray? Leo? Will you all be okay?" Lys asked.

"We'll be fine. We're strong!" Ray teased. Lys nodded with a wave, and walked off with the officer.

"Okay. Next up... Refrigerator..." Leo said with a sweatdrop.

Armstrong-----and-----Jeremy

"Haaaaaaaaaa!" Armstrong shouted, his fists dug into the ground. His alchemy connected with the broken bar, and a statue was made. ARmstrong smiled, and saw Jeremy look in amazement.

"Well I'll be. You portrayed the kid herself!" Jeremy exclaimed.

"Well, I decided it would be best. After all, my handsome face will always be remembered in the hearts of the people of Lior!" Armstrong said, eyes sparkling as his pink sparkles floated around his head. Jeremy sweatdropped with a laugh.

"Good work Armstrong." Jeremy said, patting the man on the back. Unfortunately, Armstrong repaid the kind gesture by hitting Jeremy on the back too but... too hard, making Jeremy fall to the side with a thud.

Lizzie-----and-----Sarah

"Okay! It's done! Heehee!" Sarah exclaimed. She was covered in paint, and had some blue on her cheek. Lizzie laughed, but then sweatdropped.

"Well it sure is... eh... a masterpiece." Lizzie said. The fountain was a... mess. It had red, orange, green, purple, gray, white, black, brown, and so many other colors like pink and light blue.

"Yay!" Sarah cheered happily.

"Well! A masterpiece indeed!" Jeremy called as he came to check up on them. The two girls smiled proudly.

"Anything else to paint?" Lizzie asked.

"Nah. You two can take a break. You really need a bath anyways... You two can go wash up." Jeremy said, pointing to a small house with a smile. It was owned by a nice lady who waved, saying it was all right by her if they needed to clean up.

"Thanks." the two said, and ran over to the house. Jeremy smiled as he watched them off.

"Gee, I knew they'd get messy, but I didn't think they'd be a work of art!" he joked.

Leo-----and-----Ray

"Okay... I think... that's the last of them.." Leo said with a pant.

"Thank goodness." Ray said with a laugh.

"Excuse me!" a woman called. The two boys looked up to see the woman come over to them. "Excuse me boys, but could you please help me with my couch? I tried doing it myself, but instead I sprained my ankle in doing so." the woman dramatized. It was true, she was limping all the way to the boys. Ray sobbed chibi-ishly.

"Not another couch." he whined.

"C'mon wimp. It shouldn't take us long." Leo said with a laugh.

Inside-----the-----House

"Hee hee!" Sarah cried happily as she splashed the bathtub water. Both Lizzie and Sarah decided to take a bath together.

"H-hey... Sarah calm down! We don't want to make another mess!" Lizzie exclaimed with a laugh.

"Ane-samaaaaaaaaaaaaa..." Sarah whined as she was taken out of the bath and wrapped in a big towel.

"C'mon we need to get your hair dried now." Lizzie said, looking for a hairdryer. _'Hm...'_

"Something wrong?" Sarah asked curiously.

"Well... I don't see one. Better go ask. You stay up here Sarah." Lizzie said as she wrapped a towel around herself. As she made her way downstairs after closing the door, she wasn't expecting any other visitors in the house...

"Grrr... I can't believe this! If I have to move another couch my back'll break!" Ray whined as the two boys walked through the door of the woman's house. He was facing back as Leo faced from.

"Relax! After this, Jeremy said we'd get a break." Leo replied with a laugh. Once the couch was through the door, they turned it around as Leo faced a front row seat to the stairs as Ray had his back turned to it. Suddenly, the two boys heard a familiar voice calling.

"Miss Liza?" the voice called. Both Ray and Leo froze in their spot. They heard footsteps walk down the stairs. The two boys dared not to move... not even breathe. "Um Miss Liza... Thanks again, and um... do you know where I can find a hair dry..-y..-y.. er!?" In two seconds, there was a loud piercing obnoxious scream. It almost seemed like the windows were going to break from the force... Almost everyone in Lior heard the scream.

Full-----Metal-----Alchemist

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE!?" Lizzie screamed as she clutched her towel tightly around her, face flustered. Leo had dropped the couch part he was holding. He was very shocked and was too fixated on Lizzie, not realizing his face turning red! Ray was struggling with his half right about now. Lizzie kept screaming at Leo, face flustering until she became beet red.

"S-STOP STARING AT ME! PERV!" Lizzie roared angrily. Leo wasn't paying attention at all. He was too lost in his own thoughts as he stared at her golden eyes... her long golden hair, a little wet but still made her look even more beautiful. _'Wow... she's... gorgeous. WOW.'_ he thought dreamily. Whoa whoa whoa, back it up. Did Leo suddenly feel like he had fallen in love? With Lizzie? No way! NO WAY! But... he was.

"L-Leo.. a little HELP here!" Ray called, struggling still. He wouldn't dare turn around and look, or get on Lizzie's back side. A few more moments past, and then Lizzie realized that Leo was still staring at her, and then watched his eyes go from hers to a little down... Her face grew even more red, more like a deep marroon color as her eyes twitched infuriatingly.

"GET OUT! STUPID STUPID BOYS!!!!" Lizzie cursed as she immediately wipped her wet hair and stomped up the stairs. The two boys heard a door slam, and Leo sighed heavily.

"Wow... she was beautiful... Amazing... Wow." Leo said. Ray, still struggling, finally let go of the chair.

"OW! MY FOOT!"

"God... she was just... so beautiful..." Leo said with a sweet sigh.

Inside-----the-----Bathroom

Lizzie angrily slammed the door shut, making Sarah jump with a squeak.

"Did you get the hair dry-y-y-er!?" Sarah teased. Lizzie blushed again, and stubbornly folded her arms across her chest.

"No. Stupid boys." Lizzie responded with a huff. Sarah laughed, and Lizzie was suddenly drowned in thought. _'He saw me! HE SAW ME! In just a bath towel!!!!!!!!'_ Lizzie screamed in her mind. There was a small knock on the door, making Lizzie jump as she turned, pulled back into reality.

"What!" Lizzie snapped.

"Um... Miss Elric, the boys downstairs told me you were looking for the hairdryer." Miss Liza said, opening the door a crack. Lizzie took the hairdryer.

"Ahehe... Thanks Miss Liza. Sorry for the uproar." Lizzie apologized with a gulp.

"No worries deary. It was my fault. I forgot I had asked help to carry my couch..." Miss Liza replied calmly. Lizzie then turned to Sarah and smiled.

"Okay. Let's get you ready." Lizzie said and Sarah nodded with a laugh.

Many-----Minutes-----Later

Leo sighed very heavily, bowing his head low with his hands over his face.

"You think she's gonna-"

"Yeah." _Silence..._ Leo sighed, but then smiled.

"Man... seriously Ray, you shoulda seen her..." he sighed.

"You have a crush on Liz?" Ray asked.

"Er... N-not a crush... an uh...admiration?..." Leo tried to cover up, making Ray laugh.

"Right, right." Ray said with a wink, but then his eyes grew wide in fear. Leo had a sinking suspicion that Lizzie was behind him. Turning, he saw Lizzie in her ripped jeans, black tanktop and red jacket Leo gulped as he stood.

"Um...I can explain." Leo said. Lizzie just stared at him. Leo gulped again but continued to stand his ground. After a complete stare off, Lizzie sighed and sheepishly scratched the back of her neck.

"Er... Miss Liza explained why you were there..." Lizzie mumbled as she blushed.

"Heheh...sorry." Leo apologized.

"Yeah well uh... whatever." Lizzie said stubbornly, her face still a little flustered. There was a short silence, until Ray spoke up.

"Say Leo, think you could take Sarah to the icecream stand? I wanna talk to Liz alone for a moment." he said. Leo nodded, and left with Sarah. A short pause occurred, but then the two decided to walk the streets of Lior.

Full-----Metal-----Alchemist

"So... what'd you wanna talk about?" Lizzie asked.

"Well, you asked me if your mom was here. And she was. Why do you think some people had automail here?" Ray replied with a wink. Lizzie smiled.

"Did she say anything while she was here?" Lizzie asked.

"Hm... I saw her talking to Armstrong. You could always ask him." Ray suggested. Lizzie just nodded. As the two continued to walk down the street, they saw a couple of kids trying to lift a door. Lizzie smiled and clapped her hands.

"Look, look!" one of the kids exclaimed when a small spark of light came from the opening of the whole house. The children watched in amazement as all of a sudden, an attatched steel door was placed. It looked good as new. The kids ran over to the woman who owned her house. They all chattered at once in loud squeals of delight.

"You got a door! A magic door!"

"It's magic!"

"It's called _alchemy_." Lizzie corrected with a laugh, walking over to the four small kids. The woman smiled in gratitude, and watched the kids run over to Lizzie.

"Alchemy? What's that?" a little girl asked.

"It's a type of science. Basic concept really." Lizzie said with a wink.

"Alchemy sounds cool! Is alchemy like magic?" a boy asked.

"Well, it comes close. Watch and learn." Lizzie said, clapping her hands and placing them on the ground. In front of the children was a new toy rocking horse.

"Woooooooooooooooooow!" the children squealed in delight, the smallest kid immediately attatched herself on the rocking horse and rocked back and forth happily. Ray walked over as well with a smile on his face, watching the kids surround her playfully. Throughout a few moments, Lizzie decided to play with them. Forget about taking a break, playing with little kids was fun. It also lessened her appetite for food. Throughout that time, Lizzie created a toy for each of the kids and waved goodbye as they rushed to their families. Lizzie smiled, and then both she and Ray walked alone again.

Full-----Metal-----Alchemist

"I didn't know you and kids went well together. You could have fooled me." Ray said with a laugh.

"Well, I guess my luck with kids just changed." Lizzie said with a smile. Ray nodded.

"I remember, when you were really small you hated Lys cuz she got all the attention. You almost dropped her the day she was born!" Ray exclaimed.

"Me?! Do that to Lys?! But I love her!" Lizzie said, hardly believing Ray's words. Ray laughed and laughed.

"That's how it was. I think when you turned 6 you started loving Lys more." Ray replied. Lizzie thought. When she was six?

"Hm..." Lizzie said to herself. That was when those strange dreams kept making her cry in the middle of the night. Now that she thought about it, she used to tell her mom all sorts of things, including what was in her dreams. Did Winry maybe remember the dreams Lizzie had been having?

"Liz? What's wrong?" Ray asked.

"I was just thinking is all." Lizzie replied with a smile. The two suddenly saw Armstrong wave to them, walking over with icecream cones in each hand.

"I thought you two would like a bite to eat before you leave." Armstrong said with a smile.

"Where are you headed to after this Ray?" Lizzie asked.

"Back to Central with Armstrong of course. What about you Liz?" Ray asked.

"I'm heading to Xenotime with Lys and Sarah." Lizzie explained.

"Don't forget me Major Silversteel." a voice called. Lizzie turned, seeing Leo stand there with a smartass smirk on his face.

"No way.. NO WAY! _You're_ coming with us?! Since when!?" Lizzie cried in disbelief. Leo simply laughed.

"Hey, I've got my orders from father." Leo replied, handing a paper to Lizzie. She read it, and cried in disbelief.

"NO WAY! DAMN HIM! THAT... THAT!... THAT BASTARD!"

E-N-D--O-F--C-H-A-P-T-E-R--11

**End-----Of-----Lior-----Saga**

Me: hehehe i really like how i ended that. since ed always called mustang that, i decided lizzie should have a go at it too heheh. :-p

Lizzie: i get to call mustang a bastard!

Leo: don't call father that. -sob sob-

Me: hehehehehhehhehe. anyways! yes another short chapter. but i assure u xenotime saga will be more than only three chapters, guaranteed. we still need to have russell and fletcher! does anybody have any good ideas to explain how they look like 18 years in future? I'm trying to think of something, but i just don't know how fletch and russ would look like 18 yrs in future!! if u can help me i'd appreciate that.

Lys and Sarah: xenotime xenotime!

Lizzie: hey writer.. don't u think that it would be a bad idea to take Sarah with us there?

Me: hmhmmm, it would be a bad idea to leave her in Central too.

Lys: i dunno... would it be bad to leave her in Central?

Sarah: I wanna stay with ane-sama and lyssy!

_Mysterious Voice: Niiiiiinnnaaaaa... Niiiiiiiinaaaaaaaaa!_

Me, Liz, Lys, Sarah, Leo: WHO SAID THAT!? (did that give u a hint that somethin's gonna happen or wat durin the xenotime saga? lol, please R&R)


	12. Stop 3: Xenotime

A/N: ok. i guess chapter 11 was a real dud huh? wasn't really worthy or anythin eh? lol i understand completely. besides, i would rather have readers review for chapters they like the most. anyways, here is chappie 12. and leo's joining them yay! this also the saga where the romance begins hehehehehe. (leo and lizzie: we HATE u.) hehehe. anyways, please R&R. o yea! okay, i have no experience in knowing anything about trains and stuff. so when i say the captain of the train, i really don't know what else to call him... and captains' cart and passenger's cart, yea... i'm very less interested in trains to know nothing about them. ANYWAYS! Arigatou everyone

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FMA at all. I heart Envy! 

Chapter 12: Stop 3. Xenotime

"You've gotta be kidding! You!? _YOU!?_ You're coming with _US!?_ THIS IS A NIGHTMARE! I GOTTA BE DREAMING! QUICK SOMEONE PINCH ME!" Lizzie made an uproar. Leo did so, and she shouted, "Owch! What the hell was that for?!"

"You said "someone pinch me"." Leo smirked. Lizzie's eyes narrowed.

"Baka!! You're such a.. such a pain in the ass!" Lizzie said, pushing him over and stomping off.

"Well.. she took that rather well." Ray said with a snort. Leo got up painfully, brushing himself off.

"Yeah. _Real well_." Leo said with a smile.

Full-----Metal-----Alchemist

"No way no way no waaay!" Lizzie mumbled to herself. As she continued to walk down the streets of Lior, licking her icecream cone, she ran into Lys and Sarah. They seemed pretty happy, with their icecream and all.

"Hey Sis!" Lys called.

"Hey you guys." Lizzie said solemnly.

"What's wrong Ane-sama?" Sarah asked. She had some chocolate icecream on her nose. Lizie smiled, wiping the chocolate off.

"Erhem... It seems that Leo is going to be joining us." Lizzie said bitterly.

"Cool!" Lys exclaimed.

"NOT Cool!" Lizzie replied angrily.

"Is Leo your boyfriend?" Sarah asked.

"N-no! He's not he's not he's not!!" Lizzie spazzed.

"You like him, don'tcha Liz?" Lys asked with a sly smile. Lizzie's face turned beet red out of anger and embarrassment.

"**FOR THE LAST TIME I DON'T LIKE HIM AS THAT! NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!" **Lizzie completely spazzed.

Full-----Metal-----Alchemist

"Well, I guess this is goodbye." Ray said with a smile. It was time for the four _children_ to leave as they all boarded the train.

"Yeah. It was great seeing you again." Lizie said, hugging him tightly. Leo was busy talking to Armstrong.

"Tell my father I'm travelling with them. I kind of... didn't really ask for permission to keep travelling with them. My orders were clear to keep an eye on them in Lior." Leo whispered.

"Oh what youthful love this is! Dear boy, protect her like she were your-mmph!"

"SSH!" Leo said, putting a hand over Armstrong's mouth. "I'm just doing my duty as a military officer." he muttered. Without another word, he boarded the train.

"The train's about to leave. Better get on board." Ray said, ending the hug. Lizzie nodded and got on. As the whistle blew and the train began to slowly leave, the three girls stuck their heads out the window while Leo sat in the backround, saluting.

"Bye!" the three girls called.

"Lizzie! Tell my mom I love her, and tell your mother I said thanks!" Ray shouted, and the train soon took off. Lizzie just blankly stared at Ray for a moment, but nodded with a smile.

"You bet! I'll be sure to tell them!" she called, smiling. But that smile was concealing the concern Lizzie had just now. A pang hit her stomach when he said those words to her. She had a strange reason when Ray wanted her to give those messages. It was almost as if-... no, that couldn't be. Maybe that was just her and her crazy imagination.

T---R---A---I---N

As the train continued to make its way to Xenotime, Lizzie was deep in thought, eyes staring out the window. She hadn't said a word since the four had got onboard. Lizzie was sitting with Leo, while Sarah sat with Lys.

"Lizzie?" Lys asked.

"What?" Lizzie replied.

"Is something wrong?"

"Not really."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." There was a short pause, and before Lys could continue the three girls heard a loud snore coming from the mouth of Leo. They all turned, and Lizzie the most was a little petrified. There was Leo, lying on her shoulder like a lump as he slept. Suddenly, a line of spit was rolling down the side of his mouth.

"YUCK! WAKE UP CALL! GET OFFA ME!" Lizzie shrieked, pushing Leo out of the seat.

"Huh!? What's going on?! Why am I on the ground?" Leo asked, disoriented.

"You almost drooled on me! And that's why you're on the floor! You lazy ass! You've been asleep for two hours and my shoulder's beginnin' to cramp up thanks to you!" Lizzie spazzed.

"Aww, you want me to massage it for you?" Leo said and recieved one of Lizzie's boots in his face.

"If you want to live, then shut up!" Lizzie snarled. Leo just calmly got back on the seat, boot in his hand. She instantly swiped it away right after.

"Well so-rry." he said, eyes narrowed. Lizie huffed angrily, and then looked at her pocketwatch.

"Hm... it's 4... Wow. I didn't realize how long it took to fix Lior." she said, as if fascinated of how time just flew by like that. Leo smiled.

"At least it's fixed." he said. She nodded silently, hiding a small smile.

"Ane-samaaa..." Sarah whined.

"Hm?"

"I'm hungry!" Sarah said. Lizzie smiled.

"All right. I'll go get one of the waitresses and order some-"

"Sandwiches!" Lys exclaimed.

"Um...yeah. Sandwiches. Be right back." Lizzie said and moved up to the captain's train part.

C--A--P--T--A--I--N--S---C--A--R--T

"Excuse me? Um... Mr. Captain person?" Lizzie asked. She couldn't find any waitresses or any other train personel.

"Um...where could I find a waitress? Sir?" Lizzie asked, walking into the captain's part of the train. She saw no one in sight, except for a person on a chair. "Sir?" Lizzie asked as she turned the chair. The next thing she knew, she was staring at the captain, tied down with a napkin firmly securing his mouth from any cry of help.

"Mmph! Mmph!!" he screamed. Instantly, Lizzie tugged the napkin off.

"Are you all right?! Who did this-"

"Look out!" he interrupted.

"Wh..What?" Lizzie asked. Suddenly, with no time to react, a dart hit Lizzie straight on the side of the neck. The next thing the girl knew, she found herself dropping to the ground as her vision blurred. Trying to look up, she saw a looming shadow over her.

"Well what do we have here?" a low muscular voice asked, and soon Lizzie completely blanked out into darkness...

P--A--S--S--E--N--G--E--R---C--A--R--T

"She's taking forever. I wonder what's taking her so long." Leo said in a frustrated tone.

"Maybe she had to go to the bathroom?" Lys suggested.

"Of had to wait for the food?" Sarah added.

"How long does it take to make a simple SANDWICH!?" Leo said angrily. It had already been about twenty minutes, with no return of Lizzie whatsoever. Leo, finally sighing, got up from his seat, and without another word he went to go search for Lizzie.

C--L--O--S--E--T

Lizzie opened her eyes wearily, seeing a little fuzzily. The next thing she knew she saw some images, some shapes coming into view. Where she was was in a dark, crowded kind of place. She saw figures move, about five alltogether.

"Miss? Are you all right?" Lizzie heard a woman ask. Lizzie tried moving, but her neck ached a little and her head pounded for a few moments.

"Ergh...Wha?.. Where..where are we?" Lizzie slurred. She was able to see a little clearer now, being able to make out who was with her in what looked like.. a closet?

"We're in a closet, miss." the woman explained.

"I see." Lizzie said, and started to move her arms. She found it very hard to do so, and then a few seconds later she realized she was tied up just like the rest of them.

"We're all stuck here miss. We'll be captured when we reach Xenotime." another girl said.

"You must be the waiteresses...hngh?" Lizzie asked, wobbling a little.

"Miss? What are you-"

"When we get outta here.. I want to order 4 sandwiches please." Lizzie said. Without another word she backed up as far as the closet would let her, and then slammed her whole side against the door.

C--A--P--T--A--I--N--S---C--A--R--T

"Liz?" Leo called, his gun was out. Something just wasn't right. Leo had checked the kitchen, and no one was there. Now he came to be Captain's room. The door seemed to be locked.

"Okay.. Ready on three. One... Two..." Leo whispered, finding himself shaking a little. "Three!" In one swift move, Leo kicked the door down and it landed with a thud. He ran in, gun at his side. "Come out! I know you're hiding!" Leo said, trying to lure if any enemy were truly here, out.

"Well well. Little military mouse, you've come straight to the enemy. You must be so proud of yourself." a low voice cackled.

"Come out wherever you are, slime." Leo seethed, looking around the whole entire room. Behind him, he saw out of the corner of his eye a shadow. Pulling the trigger he aimed quickly, grazing the shadow's arm. The man grunted, revealing himself. He was a slim man, middle aged. "Who are you? And what do you plan on doing?" Leo asked sternly.

"I am one of the rebel minor leaders. I was sent here to take over the train and the people for more support. I see that it was ended in vein. Unless we come to an agreement." the man said.

"What's your name, for starters." Leo said.

"Ryan." the man replied.

"Ryan, right. What agreement are you asking?" Leo asked. Ryan snapped his fingers, and one of his minions appeared.

"Get the prisoners out right away." he said, and the minion nodded. A few minutes later, he, and a few others carried all the prisoners out. They were all tied down, and most of them kept silent except for one.

"Hey! Get your grubby hands offa me!" Lizzie roared angrily.

"Liz!" Leo called and she looked up.

"Leo! WELL IT TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH!" Lizzie shouted. Leo felt a vein pop.

"Do you want me to save you or not?!" Leo roared angrily. Lizzie just huffed.

"We will release all of our prisoners, in exchange that we can leave." Ryan said.

"How can I trust you?" Leo asked.

"I may be a rebel, but I am true to my word." Ryan said, arms raised. Leo nodded, and Ryan ordered his men to release the waitresses. As the girls all were led outside, Ryan just sneered.

"You didn't let me go idiot!" Lizzie roared angrily.

"Shut up." Ryan said, and with quick speed he drew out a gun and fired. With no time to react, the bullet was fired and it entered Leo's right arm. Grunting, Leo dropped to the ground, his gun skidding off.

"Leo!" Lizzie roared, and stood up, knocking Ryan on the ground. She ran to where Leo's gun was and used her feet to kick it up, grabbing it in her mouth. Ryan got up and pointed his gun at her. "Don't think I don't know how to shoot this, even if it's in my teeth." she said, grinding the metal between her teeth. Ryan laughed, and the gun made a silent noise. _'Damn, it's one of those silent gun thingies! I never was really educated in the weapons department!'_ Lizzie cursed, and felt a bullet graze her leg.

"You really think I would actually play by your rules? HA!" Ryan said.

"Liz, get outta here. I'll take care of him." Leo said as he got up, holding his gun in his hand after Lizzie gave it to him.

"Oh, playing hero now are we boy? If you make any sudden movements I'll kill all of the waitresses held captive." Ryan said. A large steel cage appeared from behind Ryan, showing all of the waitresses that were freed only moments ago. Grimacing, Lizzie slowly etched toward Leo. She only gave him a glance before she held out her hand. Leo simply high fived it lightly, and Lizzie landed on the ground and placed her hand down. Suddenly the floor beneath Ryan uprooted him and sent him flying a few feet.

"Quick untie me!" Lizzie said and Leo obeyed. Once Lizzie was freed, she clapped her hands and placed them on the watch, turning herself silver. Walking over to Ryan, she glared at him. He showed no fear, and fired all the bullets he had in his gun. They all richoceted off of her though and went flying everywhere. Using her alchemy again, she created a long staff with a knife at the tip. With one slash she freed all of the waitresses, and made sure they were able to escape.

"You're no ordinary military officer, are you?" Ryan said, standing.

"No. I'm the Silversteel Alchemist." Lizzie responded with a hiss. She clapped her hands again, and created a long metal line. Quickly rushing to Ryan she tied him down and sat on him. "And you're going to come quietly with us to prison." she added. Turning to Leo, she nodded. "You'd better hurry up and call your dad, and while you're at it untie the captain. He's in the chair over there. We're going to get to Xenotime safely." she ordered and Leo obeyed. As he left the room, Lizzie made sure to watch over her captured enemy. She didn't know how long Leo would take, but she knew she couldn't keep up with her alchemy forever. already the silver was beginning to fade.

"This isn't the end. There are probably a ton more of rebels at Xenotime. What makes you think you can stop the fight? I'm sure by now that Strider and the other leaders are already gathering their teams and making them stronger, bigger, wider, and greater than you state dogs! You monsters!" Ryan bellowed.

"Monsters? Who're the ones that are killing innocent lives?! The State is only trying to bring order!" Lizzie said, slamming Ryan's face into the ground.

"You don't know the truth kid. Why the hell do you think the rebel started huh?! Maybe cause the State was having experiments done on every civilian they could get their hands on!" Ryan snarled.

"What?.." Lizzie asked, shocked. Her silver returned to the pocketwatch.

"You heard me. You dirty state military brutes... You would do anything to make sure your military was the most powerfulest ones in the world! No care for the human slaves who do your bidding!" Ryan said angrily. Lizzie dug his head even further into the floor.

"You take that back.. When the hell did that happen?! Experiments?! For power?! I don't believe it!" Lizzie roared angrily. Was everything a lie? Was Edward not the cause of the rebellion? If he wasn't, what was the truth behind it all?

"It's true. Your the dirty son of a bitches who turned my son into what he is now... and I bet now more than ever you're the one who took his arm away!" Ryan angrily shouted, mustering up his strength to have Lizzie pinned down. Lizzie, eyes widened for a moment as she dropped her guard. This man was Will's father? Suddenly Lizzie felt herself lifted and slammed on her back on the floor. The next thing she knew, Ryan pressed down hard on her chest, making her incapable of breathing. Gasping for breath, she tried to move, but she couldn't move a thing. "You're going to pay for what you did to my son." Ryan seethed. With a gasp, Lizzie was able to whisper something weakly and meek.

"...I'm..Sorry!" she gasped, slowly feeling life being drained from her body. She could feel her watch pressing against her chest, her heart. Suddenly though, she felt Ryan get off of her, staring at her.

"You're saying that truthfully?" he asked her, staring into her eyes. She got up painfully, but didn't do anything but stare back.

"Yes.. I didn't mean what I did. I wasn't myself when it happened.. I didn't even remember what I did until the next day. I'm really sorry for what I did, and for that I know I owe your son an apology." Lizzie said, bowing her head. It took Ryan a few moments to respond. He concentrated first of all, and broke through the metal rope. He put a strong hand on Lizzie's shoulder.

"You're a different kind of state alchemist, huh kid? You're like Edward Elric." he said.

"He's my dad." Lizzie said quietly.

"No wonder there was a resemblance." Ryan said with a laugh. Lizzie smiled.

"I guess you rebels aren't as bad... I mean, we're all human beings too.." Lizzie said. Ryan sat beside her.

"We all have our reasons kid. I'm assuming Rockbell's your mom too?" Ryan asked.

"Did she help your son?" Lizzie asked. Ryan nodded. "Do you know where she's heading to next? Do you know where she is?" Lizzie asked.

"Last time I saw her she was heading out to the battlefield to help anyone she came in contact with." Ryan said. Lizzie bit her lip. "Don't worry kid. I'm sure your mom will be fine." he said. Lizzie couldn't believe this. She thought the rebels were... well, basically, savages, and that they hated and killed just because people weren't on their side. Could it be that maybe, both sides were to blame? Why'd her dad cause such an uproar? But wait.. it wasn't her father that caused this.. it was...

"Wait, didn't you say that Strider and they had experiments done on them? When was this?" Lizzie asked, sitting upright. Before Ryan could answer, Leo barged into the room.

"We reached Xenotime. The military is ready to take him in. Er, Liz? What are you doing..?" Leo asked. Ryan just stood, arms outstretched and hands together.

"I'm ready. Handcuff me already." he said, turning to Lizzie. Lizzie just blinked a couple of times before transmuting a pair of handcuffs. As the three walked out, they saw Miss Riza and Mustang stand there. As Ryan was handed over to Breda and Falman, he stared at Lizzie.

"I've told you all I can. It's your choice to investigate and find the Truth, or stay in the dark and know nothing." Ryan said simply, and was taken away. "Oh and, tell my son that I love him." he added, and Lizzie nodded. Leo walked over to her.

"Mind explaining to me Major what just happened?" he asked her.

"None of your business. Anyways, we're in Xenotime right?" Lizzie snapped. That was the second person who asked her to give a message, asking for her to tell their loved ones they loved them. It made her feel something bad was going to happen. As she walked away, Mustang summoned Leo for a moment.

"Sis! Are you okay? We heard what happened!" Lys called when she and Sarah rushed over.

"Yeah. I'm fine now." Lizzie answered calmly. Both Sarah and Lys nodded.

"We're in Xenotime Liz. What do we do now?" Lys asked. Lizzie thought for a moment, closing her eyes. When she opened them, she smiled.

"Two alchemists who long ago posed as dad and uncle. I forget their names though... was it... was it,"

"Russell and Fletcher Tringham." Leo said from behind. All three girls turned to see him walk over to them, grimacing.

"How do you know that?" Lizzie asked.

"I asked my dad, and he told me." Leo replied calmly. Lizzie just nodded, and both of them walked next to Lys and Sarah.

Outside---A---Little---Away----From---Xenotime

Almost all of the teens had been quiet, except for Sarah. She just hated silence. She kept singing a tune sometimes, whistled, skipped, anything to annoy the teens.

"Sarah, we're almost at Xenotime. It's gonna be rough there and you need to watch your back every minutes, no... second." Lizzie said with a small frown.

"But I can't see my back ane-sama!" Sarah said, trying to look. Lys chuckled.

"Haha. Sarah, I mean, you should always be careful. In Xenotime it's dangerous, we need to look out for one another." Lizzie corrected herself with a smile. Sarah seemed to understand that much.

"Okay. Hey I see it!" Sarah cried and hurriedly ran up.

"Sarah! Wait!" Lizzie called, running after the small girl. Both Leo and Lys rushed as well. As the four made it to Xenotime, they all stared. Yup, it was just as Lizzie and Leo had suspected. It was a battleground, and dead bodies were there, sprawled on the ground as red soaked the ground beneath them. This was the grave site, and also the place where the true war began.

"Oh my..." Sarah said in a mere whisper. The rest of them nodded. As Lizzie looked up to see the town before them, she gulped once and stared toward the distance, determination burned as her golden eyes glimmered as the sun made them shine.

E-N-D--O-F--C-H-A-P-T-E-R--12

Me: sounds like a worthy cause.

Lizzie: hey. u'd better change the script. I am not gonna be kissin his lips anytime soon.

Leo: What's wrong with my lips!?

Lizzie: they're ugly.

Leo: I'm insulted.

Me: knock it off u two. i'm the script writer/author u do what i tell u to do! do u want to get paid or not?

Lizzie and Leo: YES WE NEED MONEY! WE'RE BROKE!

Me: -smirks- good. ok everyone, the next chapter will include russell and fletcher. and i must say, sorry bar-ohki i was able to come up with a good idea. but thank u for the suggestions! anyways, please review if u think this chapters worthy. until next time. Chapter 13: Finding the Tringham Brothers


	13. Finding the Tringham Brothers

A/N: okay. sorry for the long wait everyone! just came back from a four day vacation in virginia... no computers!! T.T anyways, here's chapter 13! i must say, the one to where ed and al are finally introduced is drawing near. an estimated guess would be... well, nevermind lol i could always be wrong. anyways, i will say that the tringham bros will be introduced last. so without further adieu, lets get this story continued.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own FMA. I heart Fletcher! But I swoon over Russell! XD

**Chapter 13: Finding the Tringham Brothers**

As Lizzie, Lys, and Sarah made their way through Xenotime, it was as if they had walked through their own grave. Walking silently through, the wind whistled, sending chills down the childrens necks.

"Sarah, stand by me." Lizzie said, pulling the girl close.

"I don't like this.." Sarah said, holding Lizzie in a hug as they walked.

"We have to be on our toes." Leo said, his gun at hand. Lizzie nodded, and then turned to Leo with a bewhildered look on her face.

"Y-you idiot! You shouldn't be wearing military clothes! You'll stick out like a sore thumb nimwit!" Lizzie roared angrily, but then a look of concern crossed her face. Leo just nodded, but then held his arm tightly.

"I know." he seethed. Bending down next to him, Lizzie examined his arm. She could see that some marroon color began to change his outfit. _'Damn... I forgot. He seemed so calm about it, like it was nothing.. like the wound never even existed.'_ Lizzie thought. Closing her eyes for a few moments, she opened them and took him by the hand.

"Come on." she said, taking him to an abandoned home.

"S-sis! Wait!" Lys said, startled. "Come on Sarah." she then added, taking the small girl by the hand. As they also entered the home, they didn't realize that they were being watched. Two shadows seemed to stare at them, but the simply ducked back into some bushes, walking silently away to tell their leaders of the intruders lurking.

A-B-A-N-D-O-N-E-D--H-O-M-E

As the four entered the small house, it seemed pretty nice for a place that was deserted probably a few hours ago. Lizzie took full charge as she looked for a first aid kit. There had to be one somewhere. It was a home after all, and almost all homes should have one, right?

"Liz, don't you think we should wait for the people who live here?" Lys asked in a squeak, her voice a little shaky as she looked around nervously. There was a short pause before Lizzie answered.

"...Don't be stupid Lys." she finally answered, rummaging through a cabinet. She reached to the way back, feeling something strange. Taking it out, she saw it was a gun that was loaded. _'Hm. I could use this.'_ she thought, and placed it in her coat pocket on the inside, safely tucked away. Lys seemed to look around while Sarah stayed with Leo, giving him a cloth to put pressure on the wound. Lys gasped a little bit, feeling tears well up in her eyes. She spotted a picture of a nice family.

Picking it up, she stared at it. This family seemed to consist of a father, grandmother, two sons and a daughter. They all seemed pretty cute, the children. The oldest son looked to be 12, while the other son seemed to be 5. The sister was 10. The father seemed pretty cool, in the picture it looked like his 5 o'clock shadow was going on. The grandmother looked so nice, soft, and kind. The grandmother almost reminded Lys of her mother. She heard a loud 'thud', and it jolted her as she turned.

"Here we go." Lizzie mumbled to herself, fiddling with the first aid kit. Walking out from a different room, she took once moment to take a quick glance at Lys before moving over to Leo. Lys put on a small pout, thinking in her mind, _'It just... doesn't feel right is all..'_ Both Leo and Sarah were sitting in the kitchen, having it seem so spotless. "Take off your shirt." she said to him, and he nodded. Sarah walked over to Lys now, having the older girls arms wrap around her as she held them tight.

"Is Lion going to be okay?" Sarah asked.

"Lion is going to be fine. He's a strong alpha male." Lys complimented. When Leo had joined, Sarah decided calling him "Lion". Leo smirked and then winced once.

"Oh stop you big baby." Lizzie said as she wrapped the bandage around his shoulder. A few more moments, after Lizzie had bandaged up Leo's arm, she stared at him. Blinking once, Leo had a confused look on his face.

"What?" he asked, flat out. With a response, Lizzie grabbed him by his left hand and took him up the stairs, looking for... _'Ah! There's the room I'm lookin' for.'_ With one swift movement she shoved Leo into the family's bathroom, brought herself and her suitcase in, and closed the door.

"We'll be right out in a sec!" Lizzie called. She turned to Leo who seemed a little terrified.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked.

"You need a new set of clothes." she responded simply, opening up her suitcase. Watching, he was surprised to have a pair of jeans fly in his face. After that there came a tanktop and sneakers. When he removed the clothes, he watched her leave and stand up against the door so he couldn't get out.

"But Lizziee!" he whined, realizing what he was going to be wearing.

"I'm not letting you come out until you change!" she responded with a shout. "And put your military uniform in my suitcase!" she added. Leo just sighed heavily after a few moments, and started to put on the outfit, taking off his military uniform.

15-----Minutes-----Later

Lizzie impatiently tapped her foot outside the door, wondering what was going on. It had been at least 17 minutes by now, and Sarah and Lys seemed pretty bored out of waiting.

"What's taking you so long?!" she shouted. "How long does it take to change?!" she added.

"I was done 10 minutes ago!" Leo snapped back.

"Then quit wasting your sweet time and let's go!" Lizzie said in aggrivation.

"But...I... I feel, _womanly_." Leo said, almost whispering that last part in an airy kind of tone.

"" was all Lizzie could reply with.

"Don't make me!" he whined.

"You big baby! It's only a black colored tanktop! What, can't you handle wearing jeans and sneakers or are they too feminine for you too?!" Lizzie taunted.

"But... your pants kinda feel, loose." he actually admitted. In the backround you could see Lys slapping a hand to her face while Sarah had a look that said, "You should shut up right about now before she kicks your booty". Lizzie began to steam.

"... Are you calling me **FAT**?!" she shouted.

"" Leo felt a very evil presence begin to loom over him. "...No? ...Yes? Uh..." In moments, the door completely fell down with a thud. Lizzie grabbed Leo by the scruff, staring into his now scared eyes. Her face was totally red out of anger and embarrassment, followed by it seemed a little flustery.

"LISTEN BUB! DO I LOOK FAT TO YOU?! DO I? DO I! DO I DO I DO I!?" she practically roared in a low dragon tone.

"Liz! you'll kill him!" Lys cried in frantic panic.

"Puttt... Meeee... Dowwwwnn!!" Leo practically shouted back, his eyes started to become swirls as he felt like hurling from being shaken back and forth harshly. "Itt...waas...annnn...accideennntt!" he added. Lizzie (after about 5 more minutes) angrily put Leo down once her anger had subsided, and walked down the stairs with a huge huff.

"LAST TIME I HELP YOU WITH ANYTHING! I GUESS I'M JUST WASTING MY PRECIOUS TIME!" she shouted, and stomped outside. Lys and Sarah, finally relieved that the 'dragon mistress' (as Leo had so kindly put once she had left) was gone, turned to stare at Leo. In two seconds, they started to stuffle laughs.

"Dont. Say. A. Word." Leo said through grit teeth.

Hagane---No---RenkinJutsushi!

As Lizzie waited outside, she was sitting on a bench. She actually had to move a few down because there was some blood covering it. She sat crouched down, staring at her hands. Deep in thought, she suddenly started hearing things. They were faint, but she certainly heard something. _"Brother! Brother please!" "You pwomised you'd come pway with me..." "Nooooo! Alllll!" "You took my child's arm away!" _Then, the scream of Will filled her mind. To top it off, suddenly, short images began to flash before her eyes.

Blood, a boy screaming, the Gate, Will in the dragon's teeth, a pair of eyes, arms outstretched like black shadows, a shadowy body with teeth menacingly laughing in that weird maniacle grin. They were laughing at her... Soon she found herself right in front of the Gate, and then heard the countless screams once again, some having names being called, blood being shed before her very eyes just out of nowhere. _"No.. make it stop.. make it stop!"_ she screamed and fell to the ground, covering her ears with her hands. _"MAKE IT STOOOOOOOOOOP!"_

"LIZ!" a voice called to her. Lizzie found herself now, eyes shot wide open, breath labored, and body shaking. She stared at her hands, panting for breath, and found them shaking. She took a moment to gather her thoughts, making her hands turn into fist that shook visciously. Looking up, she stared at Leo... and his outfit. That made her mood change completely.

"Oh...dear..." Lizzie started, trying to contain herself.

"Dont." he said, eye twitched.

"You..." she continued, ready to burst.

"Doooooon't." he said, vein popping.

"You (Don't) look (say) like a girl (it)!" they said at the same time. After that, all girls laughed and laughed and laughed... and laughed.

S-T-R-E-E-T-S--O-F--X-E-N-O-T-I-M-E

As the four continued to walk down the road, Leo seemed to be very aggrivated. Sometimes he walked a little funny, and sometimes just strange.

"OK. Who the hell shoved a bug up your ass?" Lizzie finally had the courage to ask, raising a brow with a sly smile on her face. Leo stopped dead in his tracks, and his face turned beet red.

"Excuse me, but it's not like _you've_ ever worn _men's_ clothing before!" Leo said.

"And what does that have to deal with my clothes? For your info, I'MMA GIRL IF YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED." Lizzie said, voice raising slightly.

"Right, right. Well, whatever. I just find them a little uncomfortable that's all." he said. Lys snorted a laugh while Sarah giggled. "In any case, huccum you get to dress down like that? I mean, you're giving off the impression that you're Ed who supposedly left this earth and ran off hiding and-"

"HOW THE HECK WOULD YOU KNOW ANYTHING LIKE THAT?!" Lizzie interrupted.

"What? That it's supposedly stated that Ed is gone from this earth and ran off hiding-"

"THAT'S SO UNTRUE! My father may be a bastard, but that doesn't mean he ran off and is hiding! I mean, he could be somewhere else, he's just to chicken to come home and face mom like a man!" Lizzie snarled. She was very unaware of the time that she was actually sticking up for him.

"Whoa calm down! That's what my father told me a long time ago! The story I've heard from my dad is that your dad ran off somewhere, and that he isn't coming back until he can figure out a good way to come home besides gettin' his head bitten off!" Leo said, trying to cover up what he just said. He really didn't want to push Lizzie to the limit. I mean, come on, he did give her a few insults accidently, but this was just plain stupid of him!

"I see. Maybe your dad knows a lot more about my dad and where he is. Damnit that bastard." she said, and then started to laugh. Leo frowned.

"I don't see what's funny. My father isn't a bastard." Leo said defensively.

"No, no. It's just.. at first I had respect for your old man. But now I call him a bloody bastard just like my father did. Kind of funny." Lizzie said with another amusing laugh. Leo didn't truly seemed to not understand the joke, but simply shrugged. "In any case, as I was saying... people are going to recognize you as-"

"They might think I'm with the rebels. And if that happens, they'll recognize you as a military officer. So don't worry." Lizzie said with a shrug. As the four continued to walk ahead, they soon found themselves seemingly being watched. Sticking close together, Lizzie stood in front of Sarah while Lys and Leo created a wall so she would be protected.

"Who's there?!" she called. There was no answer, but a small noise came from a direction very close to them. "Are you rebel? Civilian? Or State?" Lizzie spat, making it hard to tell what side they really were on.

"Who are you?!" a voice challenged.

"We're passerbys! We want to get through here alive to get to Rush Valley!" Lizzie answered.

"Why did you want to come by through Xenotime?!" another asked. There was a short pause. Leo decided to answer.

"We want to find Russel and Fletcher Tringham! We need their help!" he said. It seemed now the people arose from their spot.

"We're comrads of Monsieur Russell and Fletcher." a man said, his hair was a maroon color with navy colored eyes. His hair seemed to go down to his back, but it was in a fancy ponytail, and his bangs were slightly curled as they got in the way of his eyes. He looked like a total gentleman. His outfit said otherwise, giving him a small indication of a rebel kind of fellow, but for what is what the three teens wondered. He wore cackies, and a grey T-shirt. They all nodded, and took a step foward. "That doesn't mean I'm going to lead you to them." he snarled. They took a step back.

"Look, we need their help." Leo said.

"We're on strict orders here. Monsieur Russell does not want to start anymore fights with the rebels, or anybody for that matter. What business do you want with him?" the man asked.

"I need their help to find my dad, Edward Elric. You know, the kid who saved their butts when they were just kids?" Lizzie snapped. The man turned to Lizzie, and then nodded.

"I see... So you are the daughter of Sir Edward. Very well then. My name is Thomas, and come with me, but quickly and quietly. They could attack at any moment." he said, and silently he disappeared behind the bushes. The four took a moment to gather everything, and then quickly followed Thomas. The question was, who could attack at any moment? The rebels? If they were here, wouldn't they have attacked the kids when they had first arrived? As the four continued to follow, Thomas faced front, not saying a word. They were all surrounded by followers of Russell and Fletcher.

"Excuse me sir, but where are we exactly going?" Leo asked.

"And who might attack us? Are the rebels already-"

"Ssssssh!" Thomas said, and motioned them to follow. As they did so, they watched as a trap door underground opened, and soon they found themselves following into a dark tunnel.

T-U-N-N-E-L

They walked silently, single file lined, and swiftly. It seemed no one in the Tringham group had the decent curtisy saying anything, so it was up to the kids to figure out what was exactly going on.

"Sir Thomas, please, could you tell us what's going on?" Lizzie asked.

"Of course Madamemoiselle." Thomas responded, not turning back. "You see, it's been about a few years since this rebellion has been going on. It actually all started 4 years ago. You see, the Tringham brothers went into hiding after the first two years the war began, and have been in hiding ever since. The rebels here have taken over our home, and in doing so there have been few left alive. We serve the rebels as if we were lab rats and they were the scientists. Tis a cruel fate, tres mal." he continued.

"So the rebels are here?" Leo asked. There was no answer coming from Thomas.

"Sir Thomas, if the rebels were here, wouldn't they have attacked us from the very beginning?" Lys asked politely, walking up beside the gentleman. He seemed to be a french man in his middle twenties. Thomas turned with a broad smile on his face with Leo mumbling in the backround.

"You see, this isn't really Xenotime. It's just the welcoming houses... The real Xenotime town is just up ahead." Thomas explained.

"What do you-"

"Sssh.." Thomas said, and suddenly up above the whole group could hear yelling and screaming, swords clashing, and booming. A little bit of dust started to fall from the ground ceiling. "Quickly, this way. We don't want them to hear us." Thomas whispered, and the group followed another passageway that directly cut off from where the fight was taking place. Soon, they found themselves inside a small building. As the four turned to Thomas, he simply nodded and they all sighed with relief.

"What the heck is this place?" Lizzie asked as he looked around the whole place in amazement.

"This is where Master Russell and Sir Fletcher live. We have guests my friends! Comrads!" Thomas shouted. As the four looked up, they saw many more people now stare at them. They seemed fancy enough. Seemed like those who thought they were higher ups lived down here. So were the weak and less rich people were fighting? Lizzie found that so unfair.

"Who do we have here?" a low, fancy voice called.

"Brother, look at the one in the middle. The one wearing the red coat." another said, his voice slightly a little more higher upish. Lizzie looked up, staring into the violet colored eye of a man who was wearing a suit. His bangs covered his right eye, but his blonde hair was wavy and long, going to his shoulder blades. Talk about gentleman. The other man to the right was a little shorter by at least two inches. He actually had messy kind of blone hair in a wavy sense that went to his neck, and wore a green headband with the long strips of the cloth off to the right side diagonally. He wore cackies and a nice teal colored shirt. Lizzie thought it especially matched with his eyes.

"My name is Elizabeth Elric. And I'm here for two reasons." she said to them, eyes burning with integrity.

"And those reasons would be?" the older man asked.

"To stop this rebellion, and to bring my father home. But I can't do that without your help, because I don't know his whereabouts! Please, I need your assistance." Lizzie asked. There was a short pause, and then the older man smirked. He walked down the long stairway, and outstretched his arm. Lizzie could tell he was rich, he wore a very nice gold colored watch with diamonds embedded around the edges.

"The name is Russell. Russell Tringham." he said. She took his hand uncertainly, and they shook. The other one walked over with a broad smile on his face.

"And I am Fletcher Tringham." he said with a smile. Lizzie nodded and shook his hand as well. Turning back to both of them, they grinned.

"So now. Now that you've found us. It looks like the imposter Elrics have returned." Russell said, liking what term he used. _'Imposter Elrics, huh? How could anyone get that guy and my father mixed up?'_ Lizzie thought, but just continued to nod. What would these brothers give her? Useful information as to where her father was last seen? And how would she really make this war stop? _'Easier said than done, that's for sure.'_

E-N-D--O-F--C-H-A-P-T-E-R--13

Me: well now that we've found you two, what do you plan on doing?

Russell: well, the rebellion isn't really my main concern. My main concern is-

Lizzie: how can u say that?! people are dying out there! and what are you doing!? you're sitting on ur ass watching people, ur people get killed!

Russell: hey, who appointed me mayor of this bloody city?

Me: um...guyss...

Lizzie: how can u say that?! people up there are dying, while you're just sitting around and doing nothing! I find that hardly fair!

Me: GUYS! UR MOVING TOO AHEAD INTO THE SCRIPT!

Lizzie and Russell: . . . OH

Me: yeah! save it for the next chapter!

Lizzie and Russell: sorry..

Me: anyways, readers, the next chapter will be updated soon! **Chapter 14: The Imposters Return: What Now?** Arigatou everyone, please review if u find this chapter worthy. please ? **:3** until next time. have a good week everyone.

Ren: when do i get to be in the story?!

Me: soon, soon, soon.

Rose, Akita, Lunaros, Hannah, and Is: and what about us!?

Me: u guys'll be in the story too!! later on! much later on!


	14. The Imposters Return, So Now What?

A/N: hello everyone! it's been a while since i had a good, long, decent chapter. anyways, things are about to get interesting. AWRIGHT! 50 reviews! Sa-Weet!! ARIGATOU EVERYONE! i'm so pleased u all still like my story. keep the reviews comin ;) ! XD so, please, R&R if u feel this chapter is worthy of a review -sweatdrop-. arigatou! oh! also! i corrected chapter 1, and just to embarrass myself! does anybody remember any crucial error i made? welllll... when i introduced ray... i called him rose's daughter -.-;; anyways! i corrected it when i finally noticed is as i re-read this whole story. so, enough about my embarrassing capture of a correction that had to be made! on with chapter 14.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FMA. I like the kitty though! cute cute kitty! **:3**

**Chapter 14: The Imposters Return. What Now?**

"So now. Now that you've found us. It looks like the imposter Elrics have returned." Russell said, liking what term he used. Lizzie just simply stared. She didn't really like Russell's attitude, even if he was much more older than she.

"So..." Lizzie started, to be surprisingly interrupted by Russell's loud, booming, voice.

"Tom! Show our guests to some rooms. We shall discuss this matter once they have settled." Russell said, guiding Lizzie and the rest of them. As Thomas was able to give the girls and Leo their room, he stood off to the side. The room seemed pretty... well, roomy, and pretty...

"Well, they sure were kind enough." Lys said. She still couldn't believe that there was really an underground home. Since when did that happen?

"Sure is roomy." Leo added, sitting on a bed with Sarah next to him.

"What I don't get is why won't the Tringham brothers help their people? I mean, without alchemy on their side they'll die in seconds. And what about the kids?" Lizzie wondered, sitting on a chair.

"Madamemoiselle, you think too eh, petite non? The children are safe down here, and the elderly are taken care of." Tom explained.

"Don't get me wrong, that's great and all, but why won't the Tringhams help their people? They're alchemists after all. I mean, at least two alchemists could help the civilians out!" Lizzie protested.

"We also have the military." Tom said.

"So all of you are relying on the military?! Those rebels could easily wipe them out with alchemy! Without alchemy they'll all die! And all you're gonna do is sit here and watch them die?!" Lizzie cried in disbelief.

"Now now Miss Elizabeth. Settle, please." Tom said.

"Where's Russell?! If he's the gentleman around here and knows alchemy, why doesn't he do anything?!" Lizzie asked

"Master Russell has his reasons." Tom said calmly.

"Well we-...I can't just sit around and watch people die. I want to have a talk with him." Lizzie demanded.

"Please Miss Elizabeth, calm down before you judge too quickly." Tom said.

"Liz, he could be right. We don't know what Mr. Russell's reasons are. They could be logical ones." Lys suggested quietly. Lizzie simply scoffed, and turned away for a moment. She then looked up at the ceiling.

"When can I talk to him?" she asked.

"Well, please, stay here for a while. After that, around noontime you may join us for coffee hour." Tom said, examining his watch. Lizzie frowned, but agreed that it would be best. As Tom left, Lizzie kicked the floorboard angrily.

"It makes me sick. How can they just watch and stand on the sidelines while countless people with regular lives are dying left from right! I bet anything the rebel leaders what's-their-faces are killing so many people right now, and all I'm doing is sitting my butt down on a comfy bed! People are dying! We have to help them!" Lizzie exclaimed.

"Liz, I know what you're thinking, but that doesn't mean we should do anything rash. Let's talk to the Tringham Brothers first, then we'll negotiate maybe." Leo said as he guided her to a bed. She flopped on it on her back, and placed a hand on over her eyes.

"Damnit... why don't they do something?.. I don't, I don't understand." Lizzie mumbled in aggrivation, and soon she fell asleep. Just like that.

12:00-----noon

Lizzie continued her snooze until she felt someone tap her on the shoulder. She ignored the someone, and turned to her side. Then she felt another poke.

"Whazzit?" Lizzie asked crankily.

"Tom wants us to go down to the dining room.. He says that Mr. Russell is waiting for you." the voice called. It belonged to Lys. Lizzie shot straight up, determination on her face.

"All right. Let's go." Lizzie said and she walked to the door. Bumping into Tom, she saw he would not let her pass. "What is it Tom? I need to get moving." Lizzie said.

"Not in that outfit you're not. Miss Elizabeth, we all must be in proper dress. Here is your outfit, and I've already handed the others their outfits." Tom said.

"What?!" Lizzie asked in disbelief. She turned, and her jaw dropped. Lys was in a light blue dress, her hair curled. Sarah was wearing a sun dress, her hair put in two small pig tails. Then, Leo was wearing a suit, tie and all. Lizzie stared at her outfit. She would wear a sparkled red gown, and red gloves going to her elbows. Growling, she ran into the bathroom and slammed the door shut. When she was changing, the group could hear mumbles, grumbles, and cursing.

D-I-N-I-N-G--R-O-O-M

As Lys, Lizzie, Leo, and Sarah entered the large dining room. They saw about ten other people and Russell and Fletcher all the way at the end.

"Please, have a seat." Russell said. As all four of them sat down obediently at the end of the table. Clapping his hands, Russell summoned over the chefs. "Please, let us all eat." he said calmly, and the food was set. As everyone ate, Lizzie just simply stared at Russell. "Is something the matter with the food?" Russell inquired. Everyone seemed to look up from their plates.

"No." Lizzie answered simply.

"Then why aren't you eating anything?" Russell asked.

"I'm not hungry." she seethed.

"Then why did you show up at all?" Russell asked.

"I came here to talk to you." Lizzie answered, clenching a fist underneath the table.

"Then speak." Russell responded.

"Why are we just sitting here eating, when there's war outside?" Lizzie asked.

"The war is probably over for now. It will continue probably this evening. For now let us have a peaceful meal." Russell said.

"How can you just sit there and do nothing?" Lizzie asked, hand started to tear at the fabric of the napkin held in her palm.

"It was not my choice to create this war." Russell said.

"Who cares whose fault it was... what matters is having it stopped." Lizzie said, temper rising.

"If it's not our fault, then it's none of our business. The people created it their problem when they stepped in for battle." Russell said coldly. Lizzie stood from her spot, fist shaking.

"SO LEMME GET THIS STRAIGHT! YOU'RE GOING TO JUST SIT HERE AND HAVE A NICE LITTLE TEA PARTY, WHILE THE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO COULD USE YOUR ASSISTANCE ARE DYING?! YOU'RE NOT GOING TO LIFT ONE FINGER TO HELP THEM!? THEY'RE SACRIFICING THEMSELVES OUT THERE LIKE-"

"Like lambs for slaughter. The hungry, savage wolves keep coming as the lambs keep appearing. If they want to risk their lives, let them. But the lives here will remain untouched. The rebels cannot find us, and we certainly could just use help from the military. Recent news is Mustang and his daughter arrived at the scene earlier today around 11." Russell said calmly, but very strict. Leo stared up.

"Fuhrer Mustang is here?" he choked.

"Yes. What's it to you?" Russell asked, brow raised.

"I..uh...hm. Nothing really." Leo responded with a shrug. Russell continued to eat his meal until Lizzie pounded a fist on the table, shaking it a little.

"Oh. You have more to say? Damn." he said with a huff.

"How can you just... I don't understand! How can you just stay in this little hole and eat so peacefully, knowing your people are DYING?! You're not helping them, why aren't you!?" Lizzie roared.

"First of all, who the hell appointed me mayor of this damned city? It's their fault for getting into a mess like this, if they want to throw their lives away then go right ahead! However if they choose to fight me I will not hesitate." Russell said.

"But you have alchemy! You could help them by using-"

"I haven't used my alchemy in years! I can barely make a transmutation circle in less than 3 minutes now!" Russell answered angrily. The elderly people in the room seemed to be spooked. The other ten people seemed to be in their late 70s and early 80s.

"Brother, you're scaring the elders." Fletcher whispered. Russell simply sat back down.

"Miss Elizabeth. We will continue this conversation later." Russell said, making no note of continuing any further. Lizzie scoffed, and then walked away from the whole table.

"Whatever. I'm out of here." Lizzie said as she walked away back to the room. There was a short silence until Fletcher spoke.

"Could you please pass the butter?" he asked quietly.

T-H-E--R-O-O-M

Lizzie rumaged her suitcase and found her clothes. Taking the dress off immediately and ripping off the gloves, she put her own clothes on and sighed heavily. She could still hear the clinging of steel, the blasting of bombs, the cries of helpless, innocent lives... It made her sick that she actually was going to sit down and have a meal while they suffered. How many people were in this city anyways? If there were too many rebels here... well, there was the military.. And now Ren and Colonel Mustang was here...

"Miss Elizabeth? It's me, Thomas." Tom said from the outside.

"What do you want?" she snapped.

"I want you to come with me, please. Maybe when you come with me you'll have a better understanding of why Russell does not want to get involved with the war." he answered, and she opened the door and followed.

H-A-L-L-W-A-Y

As both Lizzie and Tom walked down the hallway together, it seemed pretty quiet. They both didn't talk to eachother, and Lizzie only got to glance at some rooms of the underground home. She saw some elderly people hooked up to monitors and breathing masks... some of them writhing in pain to have a simple teen not older than she try and help them.. What was this place? Was this a whole nother part of the place?

"Where are we going?" Lizzie asked.

"I want you to meet the children." Tom said, and opened a door that was closed. There was laughing coming from the inside. As Lizzie walked in, Tom followed. She couldn't believe her eyes. Her mouth dropped a little as she saw kids playing together, but some of them seemed deformed while others were missing body parts. It made her so sad, and suddenly, so nervous and stomach churning...

One little boy had half of his face torn off, probably from a bomb that came nearby.. He had brown colored hair that stuck up in all sorts of places, but only one bald spot at the top of the left side of his face. He had beautiful aqua colored eyes. Another child had both of his arms taken away from him. He had orange colored hair with brown colored eyes. A little girl, not even 4 had a leg, ear, and eye missing. She had sunshine colored hair and hazel colored eyes. Another boy had an arm, leg, hand, and both eyes missing. He was blind, but his eyes still showed some nice aqua green color. He also had navy colored hair and wore glasses even though he could not see.

There was only one child who was in a wheelchair, staring out the window. She had long yellow colored hair, and a little blue bow placed on her head. She had kind, emerald colored eyes, and all she had was one arm, and that was simply dangling from where it was. Lizzie wondered about that kid the most, but let it go for now.What happened to the girls legs and other arm, only Lizzie could imagine.

"It's Tom! Tom's here!" the little boy with half a face called. They all laughed and cheered, running over to him, some limping while others walked. There were eight kids in all.

"Salut mon petit amis. I've brought another companion for you to play with. Her name is Elizabeth." Tom said, introducing her. Lizzie just nodded, and looked at all the kids stare at her.

"H-hi." she stuttured. She stared into curious eyes, until hers trailed off into other directions. She didn't know why, but she felt so uncomfortable. It wasn't the childrens fault though, it was because she knew the fact that this is what the war had done to them. If only her mother were here now, she could fix up any one of these little kids.

"Hi there!" the little girl said with a smile, grinning. Pulled back, Lizzie looked at the girl. She smiled back a little, seeing that she was missing some teeth. "I'm Tina! And this is my brother, Harry!" Tina introduced. Harry nodded shyly, he was the boy without any arms.

"It's nice to meet you.." Lizzie said in a small voice.

"I'm Curt." the boy with half a face said warmly. Even with half a face, his smile made Lizzie melt.

"It's a pleasure." Lizzie said with a grin, shaking his hand.

"M-my n-name is... Sam.." the blind boy stuttered.

"I'm Elizabeth. But you can just call me Lizzie." Lizzie introduced herself to him, placing a hand on his cheek. Sam raised his left arm, and touched Lizzie's hand.

"You feel nice... you seem like a nice person." Sam said with a grin. Lizzie smiled with a nod.

"Thanks." she said simply. Then, Lizzie turned to see the girl in the wheelchair come over. She seemed to be about one year older than Lys, 14.

"I'm Victoria Tringham. Daughter of Fletcher, and niece of Russell." she introduced herself politely, extending her arm. It seemed frail, Lizzie was afraid she might break it by accident. "It's okay. My arm won't fall off I promise." Victoria said with a laugh. Lizzie blinked a couple of times, but nodded as she shook. The hand felt pruney a little, but that didn't matter. The girl seemed to wince once, and Lizzie quickly retreated.

"I'm Elizabeth Elric." Lizzie introduced herself. The two smiled warmly, and then Tom tapped her shoulder. She looked up to him.

"If you don't mind miss Elric, I came here because it's time for the children to have their meal. If you want to help me, then please, assist. If you don't, then I suggest you leave." Tom said. Lizzie nodded, and got up. Brushing herself off, she waved goodbye to the kids. They all whined for a moment, but soon found themselves laughing as they waved. Well, as _most_ of them laughed. As Lizzie closed the door, she slumped to the ground and started to bawl out in tears. Was that the reason why Russell wouldn't fight? Too many lives were already risked? Did he try to fight before? What happened to his niece? Was he weighing down guilt of what happened to Fletcher's daughter?

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" a piercing scream filled Lizzie's ears. Lizzie jerked up from her spot, wondering where the noise was coming from. She looked and looked, and continued to hear the ear-aching pitch. Entering a small room, she saw movement, and lots of it.

"Please Grandma! Calm down it's me! It's me! It's Karin!" Lizzie saw a girl cry, holding up a needle. It must have been time for the woman to have her medication.

"NOOOO! LEAVE! LEAVE! DON'T HURT ME REBEL SCUM! PLEEASEE!" the woman shouted. It seemed she had seen better days, and seemed to be delusional.

"Grandma! I'm not the rebel I'm your granddaughter! Please settle! You! Please come and help me!" Karin shouted, then noticing Lizzie's presence. Lizzie obeyed quickly, rushing to the scene. She saw the grandmother tied to the bed, but frantically moving about to get loose.

"What do you want me to do?!" Lizzie asked.

"Please hold her down for me! I need to give her the medication." Karin explained. Lizzie nodded, and held down the woman as best as she could. She held down strictly one of the old woman's arm. The woman screamed and kicked and writhed as the needle entered her skin, the medicine slowly entering. Soon, everything stopped until the woman finally fell asleep. Both Lizzie and Karin sighed with relief.

"Wow..." Lizzie said in a mere whisper.

"Thanks stranger. Who are you?" Karin asked.

"I'm Lizzie. And you?"

"Karin." the girl responded. There was a short silence.

"So... what happened to your grandmother?" Lizzie asked.

"Oh. She was caught up in a hold up the rebels conjured. We were able to get her free of their grasp, but they still have some civilians up there. Master Russell is doing his best in getting all of us civilians who are still alive free from the rebels grasp. Even the military has been helping him. This base is for us so we can still live." Karin said.

"I see..." Lizzie smiled. She started wondering about her own mother. Was she dead? Did she make it out alive? Was she held captive? And what about the rest of the military? Surely Ren wouldn't die, because she'd only die by Lizzie's hands in a fisticuffs fight probably. Lizzie chuckled softly to herself, and didn't notice she had shed a single tear.

"What's wrong?" Karin asked. Lizzie looked up, and then realized she was crying.

"I was... just thinking about my mother. Word has it that she was making her way through Xenotime.. I just hope that she made it in time and didn't get caught up in this war.. though I hardly imagine that she could escape.." Lizzie said. Karin just simply nodded.

"Miss Karin? I heard screaming, and I came as quickly as I could after I fed the children and gave them their medication. Is everything all right?" Tom's voice entered the small room.

"Granny's fine thanks to a little help from this girl." Karin answered with a kind gesture. Lizzie nodded, and then walked out.

"I was glad to help." she said simply, and then brushed past Tom. Tom simply nodded to Karin, and then followed.

H-A-L-L-W-A-Y

As Tom and Lizzie continued to walk down the hall, it seemed that Tom had something on his mind.

"If you're wondering if I learned something from what you showed me, I have a little... I just don't understand why he won't help those up top." Lizzie said quietly.

"Let me tell you Miss Elizabeth, about two years ago Maste Russell and Fletcher had been attacked by the rebels Strider, and Evan a few days later.. At first Russell and Fletcher put up a mighty fight, but it stopped when Russell lost his own wife and son... while Fletcher's child suffered from an amount of blood loss and missing parts of her own body.. They gave up willingly, and the rebels were left to take a killing spree in Xenotime. Both Master Russell and Fletcher were really the 'leaders' of this city, but when they were defeated there was nothing they could do... This place is for those who are wounded, we tend to them hand on foot." Tom said.

"So Russell is blaming himself? Because he couldn't save his family?" Lizzie asked.

"Partially that. And maybe, the other part is that he's afraid that the city people would think he had abandoned them if he made an appearance." Tom replied.

"That's selfish. They're probably wondering why he isn't saving them instead. I mean, they would probably forgive him if he came to their rescue."

"But you see, it is them who have entered this fight. Russell and Fletcher were only caught inbetween. I'm sure when Master Russell is ready, he will help out in his own way. He's already started helping out anyways." Tom replied calmly. Before Lizzie could answer, he suddenly saw Leo rush up to him, tears welling in his eyes.

"Leo? What's wrong?" Lizzie asked in alarm.

"It's...Ren...she's...she's hurt bad.. Come on Lizzie." he said and took her by the hand and ran. Tom followed close behind.

I-N-F-I-R-M-A-R-Y

As Lizzie and Leo made an approach to an operation table, there was Ren. She was lying there, cold as ice. Her stomach had a huge hole, and blood was everywhere. Mustang was off to the side, eyes closed with a stern look planted on his face.

"What happened?!" Lizzie cried.

"She was attacked... We don't know how it happened, but something penetrated her stomach... We have to stop the bleeding right now." a doctor said, examining the wound.

"Move aside!" a voice called. Everyone turned to see Fletcher standing before them, alchemy gloves at hand. Everyone moved away, and Leo just stayed.

"She's my sister. I'm not leaving her side." Leo said sternly. Fletcher nodded with understanding, and dug in his pocket. He took out a small little tube, filled with some red liquid. Opening up the tube, he placed the liquid on his gloves, and suddenly shockwaves stirred. Clapping them together, he softly ran his hands over Ren's wound. There was a sizzling noise, and everyone watched in amazement. Ren's wound began to close on its own, the blood slowly returning and color starting to come back.

"I don't believe my eyes." Mustang said, as he too watched. Fletcher closed his eyes, and when he finally opened them the healing was done with, and Ren slowly opened her eyes.

"You better believe it. Doctor Marcoh, before he died left all the medical things we me, including a life supply of red liquid gems." Fletcher said with a smile on his face.

"You're a healing alchemist then?" Lizzie asked. Fletcher nodded.

"I can only heal wounds though, nothing over the top like giving someone back an arm or a leg. It's too advanced for someone like me." Fletcher said with a sweet sigh. Lizzie couldn't help but feel sorry for Fletcher, maybe because he didn't know she had already met his daughter.

"Father?...L-Leo!?" Ren asked, shooting up from her spot. She winced a little, but then saw her father and brother stand before her.

"I'm so glad you're all right." Leo said, giving her a welcome hug. Ren looked around the room, wondering where she was.

"What's going on? Where am I? How'd I get down here?" she asked.

"Miss, please lie back down. Everything will be explained." Fletcher said, pushing her lightly. Ren obeyed, but then glanced over and saw Lizzie looking dreadful. Like maybe, maybe she hadn't slept in a long time or something.

"You!" Ren said, getting up and knocking Lizzie to the ground. Lizzie landed with a 'thud', and looked up painfully at Ren.

"What the hell was that for?!" Lizzie asked, bewhildered, and then received another punch.

"How dare you! You're the one that dragged my brother into this! By now he'd be at home in Central but you just _had_ to drag him along!" Ren answered angrily. Lizzie scrambled away, to get punched in the stomach. She tumbled a few feet, and saw that Ren was being held back by Mustang.

"I don't know what you're talking about! Your brother told me he had orders from your dad to come with me!" Lizzie said, wiping away some of her blood.

"Oh really now?" Mustang said.

"Ren, calm down! It's a misunderstanding! Lizzie didn't do anything wrong it's my fault!" Leo spoke up. Everyone seeemd to turn to him. "Lizzie I uh, kind of lied when I said Colonel let me come with you. I wanted to come on my own accord. At Central I left a note saying that you wanted me to come with you for some extra protection for yourself and your sisters." Leo explained.

"You said what?!" Lizzie cried, outraged.

"So you.. you _wanted_ to come?" Ren asked, having Mustang let go of her. Leo nodded.

"Sorry sis, sorry Lizzie." Leo apologized. Lizzie at first was going to blow her stack, but cooled down quickly.

"You should be apologizing to your sister more than me." Lizzie scolded. "Anyways, if you really wanted to come you shoulda just asked." she added, arms folded across her chest. Ren looked at Leo with a sad look.

"You really had me worried. I thought if you went to fight in the Xenotime rebellion you'd get yourself killed. I had a hard time consoling mom who almost kept fearing the worst. You should give her a call." Ren said.

"What?! I can look after myself!" Leo protested.

"Son, we're going to have a long talk when we get back to Central. After this rebellion here you're coming home with me." Mustang said sternly.

"But Fa-"

"That's an order." Mustang said abruptly.

"... Understood." Leo said silently. As Mustang calmly walked out of the room, the three teens were left in the room alone. Ren sighed a little, and turned to Lizzie.

"I'm sorry for getting angry at you." she apologized. Lizzie stared at Ren for a moment, and then smiled with a wink.

"No problem. You were just looking out for your brother." Lizzie said with a smile and quickly walked outside. Without another word, both Ren and Leo were left alone.

H-A-L-L-W-A-Y

Lizzie walked silently down the hallway again, turning a corner. How long had she come down the same corridors over and over again? Sighing once she reached the same room again, she sat down and stared at the ground. Suddenly, she heard a faint noise. Looking up, she saw Victoria look at her with a smile.

"Are you lost?" Victoria asked. Lizzie nodded sheepishly. Victoria giggled with a laugh. "If you could help me out, I'll help you to my father's room." Victoria said. Lizzie glanced behind, and saw that only a robotic figure had led her here.

"Alchemy.." Lizzie muttered under her breath, but then nodded with a smile. As Victoria led Lizzie to Fletcher's room, Lizzie looked around.

"This is my father's chambers. It's filled with alchemy books, medical books, and equipment and stuff. He should be back soon. Either he will return or my uncle." Victoria said with a smile, parked by the window. Lizzie walked over to Victoria, sitting herself down.

"Is your uncle afraid of something? Is that why he won't enter the war?" Lizzie couldn't help but ask.

"My uncle is afraid that he'll lose either me or father to the rebels. He wishes to settle this with words and not alchemy or weapons or fists... But we all know no one will listen to him. There have been so many reasons as to why the war began. I think only Edward, your father, would be able to help." Victoria said.

"But I was told that my father wasn't the cause for the uproar... It's something the military did. I don't know what, but until I find out the real truth then I'm going to have to step in." Lizzie said. Victoria looked at Lizzie for a moment.

"But you're not even 18.. You're 16 right? Well that's not a wise choice to go into battle at such a young age. And what about your friend and your sister?" Victoria asked.

"Hm. I won't drag them into this. I want them to be safe. I'll go alone if I have to, but I just want this to stop." Lizzie said with a determined look. Victoria smiled.

"Perhaps Uncle Russell will listen to you once you've been able to show him that you're prepared to enter the war to stop this all. At all costs, maybe he'll be able to see that instead of running away from his fear he should face it." Victoria said with a bright grin. Lizzie nodded, but before she could say anything, she saw Russell standing in the doorway. Abruptly she stood up, and looked at him. He seemed either angry, embarrassed, bewhildered, or maybe all three.

"Get out." he seethed.

"Mr. Russell I was just-"

"Get. Out." he said more strictly.

"Uncle, please if you would-"

"I SAID GET OUT! NOW!" he snapped angrily, walking over to them. Lizzie walked behind Victoria's wheelchair, ready to go away with her. "NO. Victoria stays." he snapped at her, and immediately she walked around him quickly, taking one glance and then going out the door. Lizzie then decided to find her way to the dining room. She wondered where Lys and Sarah were. Still, a new thought entered her mind. _'Today, I'm going to enter the war. And no one's gonna stop me.'_

E-N-D--O-F--C-H-A-P-T-E-R--14

Me: all right. things are about to heat up. and i can assure u that during the war scenes things will be cleared up and also some lizxleo. -sneers-

Lizzie: did i ever get to mention that **I HATE U?**

Me: ummmmmm... (thinks to three days ago: I HATE U I HATE U I HATE U!) no i don't think so.

Lizzie: I HATE U

Leo: I double that

Me: hey i'm the writer and u do as i say!

Sarah and Lys: here we go again!

_Mysterious Voice: niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinaaaaa!!!!_

All of Us: who keeps saying that!? o.O

Me: erhem... a-anyways, please review if this chapter was somewhat worthy and told the real reasons why russell won't do anything and is living in luxury with all the other survivors and stuff! arigatou!!

_Mysterious Voice: niiiiiiiinaaaaaaaaa!_

All of Us: AAAAAAAAAH!!!!


	15. Things Get Serious

A/N: ok this is a short chapter, gettin ready for the appearance of ed and al. yay! after that, it's romance with liz and leo! double yay! anyways, i assure u that somewhere in this Xenotime saga, there WILL BE A BIG FIGHTING SCENE! I PROMISE! and i will do my best to make it great! anyways, here is chapter 15.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own FMA.

**Chapter 15: Things Get Serious**

As Lizzie walked into the dining room, she sighed in such relief. She had never been so happy to be able to make it back to the dining room. Looking up, she saw Lys and Sarah on the ground playing with some toys that Lys created with her alchemy. Right now she was putting on a show for Sarah with her alchemy, putting together a toy dog. The dog landed with a thud and started walking on all four of its robotic arms, barking as it went. Sarah clapped her hands in cheers as she picked the toy dog up, hugging it.

"There you are Lizzie! I was beginning to worry!" Lys said as she spotted her sister. Lizzie nodded with a short grin.

"Yeah. Sorry I took so long, I got lost." Lizzie admitted.

"Colonel came by just a few moments ago. Leo walked off with him saying that he wanted to tell you 'goodbye'. Is he going to fight in the war?" Lys asked, walking over to Lizzie. Sarah was still playing with the toy dog.

"I don't know. But I do know that I'm fighting in that war." Lizzie said sternly.

"What?! Sis, if you do that you could get killed!" Lys protested.

"Lys, I've made up my mind. If Leo's up there he'll need my help anyways." Lizzie responded.

"I'm coming too then! I mean, you said it yourself, alchemy could help them! I'm an alchemist too so let me help!" Lys exclaimed.

"Lys I don't want to put you in danger." Lizzie said.

"I won't be in danger! I want to help, please let me help!" Lys replied. Lizzie sighed for a moment, and then nodded.

"Okay. But you have to stay by me." Lizzie said, and Lys nodded.

"Count me in too." a voice called, and the two siblings turned to see Ren as she walked over.

"Please Miss Ren, you still need rest. I was able to close your wound, but it could re-open if you-"

"My brother and father are fighting out there. There's no way I'm going to sit back. Take me with you Silversteel." Ren said with a huff. Lizzie nodded with a semi grin. She then turned to Fletcher.

"Mr. Fletcher, please, look after Sarah." Lizzie said, and then turned to the small girl who noticed something was up.

"Ane-sama? Are you going somewhere?" Sarah asked.

"Sarah, I want you to be on your best behavior for Mr. Fletcher. Ren, Lys, and I are going on an important mission." Lizzie said with a wink.

"Do your best!" Sarah said, and the three nodded. They took off then to the surface. _'Finally! This is your chance to end all of this Liz... Don't mess it up.'_ Lizzie thought in her mind.

T-H-E--S-U-R-F-A-C-E

As Lizzie, Lys, and Ren made their way up, they could hear the battle was close by. Making their way to the scene, they saw almost countless of people either dead, wounded, or battling against the rebels.

"It's..."

"Don't think about it Lys. We need to focus on the fact that we need to find Leo and help him out." Lizzie interrupted.

"My brother must be with my father. They're at headquarters to the west." Ren said.

"All right. Then we'll go there." Lizzie said with a nod, having the three teens run off to the west.

H-E-A-D-Q-U-A-R-T-E-R-S

Mustang watched over the other military men as Leo sat in a seat, head hung low. Leo sat there like a dog with its tail between its legs while he watched his father pace back and forth. It made him even more anxious.

"How could you do that? You lie to me, you come here and worry your mother sick, what am I going to do with you?" Mustang scolded.

"I'm sorry dad.. I just, wanted to come with her is all." Leo said for probably the 50th time. Mustang sighed, and then saw three girls run up to him.

"I can't believe it." Mustang said, and Leo looked up to see all three of the girls come over.

"Colonel! Silversteel reporting!" Lizzie called.

"The same goes for Psywave sir!" Lys added.

"Count FlamingInferno as well!" Ren said. Leo got up from his spot.

"What are you three doing here?!" he asked.

"We've come to help fight in the war." Lizzie said with a huff. Mustang stared at all three of them for a moment, but then he smiled.

"Good. The more alchemists, the better." he said and the three nodded. "Leo, go with them and scout out for any survivors. If you happen to find any, bring them back here as soon as you can. I have medical alchemists ready and waiting. We need to treat any who are wounded. If you spot any rebels, be sure to take them down." Mustang commanded, the four saluting in response. As they all ran off, Mustang actually prayed that they would be safe.

B-A-T-T-L-E-F-I-E-L-D

"We gotta be quick on our feet." Lizzie said as the four walked side by side.

"Yeah. Stealth is our weapon." Leo responded. The four continued to walk quietly, trying to spot any movement possible. Suddenly, there was some movement under a pile of debris. As the four moved over to the movement, they lifted the pile up to see a familiar face.

"Oh my-...Ray!" Lys almost shouted. Lizzie felt her eyes go wide. There was Ray, he was banged up pretty badly. Blood was all over his military shirt, and there seemed to be a decent amount on his face. From what Lizzie could tell, he had a seriuos head injury and a broken arm.

"Oh God... Ray. Ray can you hear me? It's me, Lizzie." Lizzie said, bending down. As she and Leo helped him out, Ray grunted in response. Opening an eye, he looked into Lizzie's concerned ones.

"L-Liz?...What's going on.." Ray asked, bewhildered. Lizzie smiled, tears starting to fall.

"You're okay, right? You're not dying on us now, are you?" Lizzie asked. Ray chuckled slightly.

"Of course not.." he replied with a cough. Lizzie simply put Ray on her back, and then looked at the others.

"Let's see if there's any other survivors." Lizzie said, but before the others could respond, a threatening voice came from above.

"Well well. Look what we got here. A couple of state mice." the voice taunted. The four looked up to see one of the rebel leaders, Evan. Beside him was Strider. Strider's purple eyes were like slits, staring at Lizzie.

"Like moths to a flame. I'm glad we left that military dog alive." Strider replied, an evil smile planted on his face. At that point Lizzie realized that somehow this was payback for what she had done to Will, and her anger began to boil. But that didn't matter, at least, not now that is. What mattered was getting Ray safely back to HQ for medical attention, and fast. But how was she going to accomplish that when two powerful rebels stood in her way?

Hagane-----no----RenkinJustushi!

"Strider." Lizzie said through grit teeth.

"Happy to see me Elric?" Strider responded, jumping from the building. He landed with a huge thud, creating a small crater around his feet from the ground.

"That... that was a tremendous fall! And yet.. he survived?.." Ren said, astonished. The building was about 22 ft up, and jumping from that height was amazing. Strider laughed.

"I'm indestructable." he said with a smirk. The four then saw Evan quickly come down, disappearing left from right. Finally, he landed down next to Strider.

"You're going to pay for what you did, Elric. We were lucky to run into a kind woman with automail skills." Evan said with a grin.

"That.. was my mother." Lizzie said under her breath. So, Will was introduced to her mother, and thankfully he was given automail. Lizzie was at least thankful for that.

"Now then pipsqueak, it's time you pay." Evan said.

"Pipsqueak? I'm 5'7"!" Lizzie roared.

"Yeah? Well I'm 5'9"!" Evan responded back. Lizzie felt a vein pop.

"Lizzie, you and Lys take Ray back to the infirmary. Ren and I will hold them off for now." Leo said, getting out his gun.

"You sure?" Lizzie asked. The two siblings nodded, and Lys and Lizzie took off with great speed.

"Now wait a minute!" Evan cried, using his speed. He was then stopped by a strip of flame.

"Hey. You're dealing with the Flaming Inferno alchemist. I wouldn't take my alchemy too lightly if I were you." Ren said with a smirk. Evan just grimaced, but then sent one of his knives flying. It ricocheted off of a bullet sent by Leo.

"You're dealing with a proffesional gun handler too. I wouldn't think of me as a little bug either." Leo said with a sneer, catching both rebels a little offguard.

Full-----Metal-----Alchemist

It didn't take long for Lizzie and Lys to be halfway between HQ and the spot where the fight was raging. As Lizzie slowed down, Lys was wondering what was wrong.

"Sis, why stop now? It's just up ahead." Lys panted. Lizzie simply gave Ray to her.

"Lys, go on ahead without me. I'm going to go back and help them out. After all, it's me that they want anyways, I can tell. I hurt their comrad, and they want revenge. Don't worry I'll be fine." Lizzie said with a grin, and without another word ran back to the fighting scene. Lys frowned a little, but continued to make her way to HQ. As Lizzie watched Lys take Ray away, she noticed that Ray's legs were made of automail. _'Tell your mother I said thanks!'_ Lizzie's eyes grew wide for a moment. Is that what he meant? When did that happen? In Lior? Did Ray know that he would-... no. Lizzie shook that idea out of her mind.

B-A-T-T-L-E-F-I-E-L-D

As Lizzie reached the spot, she saw Ren battling Evan and Leo battling Strider. Wasting no time, she rushed to the scene, but halfway there she was interrupted by a small shadow getting in her way. At first Lizzie was going to fight, but then hesistated when she realized who it was.

"Hey there state dog. Remember me?" the boy said with a grin.

"W-Will..." Lizzie managed to stutter. The boy she saw before her had changed drastically. He looked more stronger, more viscious than last time. His red eye seemed ready for some blood lust. She also noticed his automail. It looked light, and easy to use thank goodness. Wait, what was she saying? If it was light for him, then she was in deep trouble.

"Time for payback." Will said, and without any warning he lunged for battle, a new and improved steel hammer at his side.

"I don't want to fight you!" Lizzie had enough time to say as she dodged his attack. Will thrust his hammer down, and the impact sent a shockwave toward the girl. It sent her flying up in the air, to land gracefully back on the ground.

"Aw, that's too bad!" Will said, attacking again. He thrusted his hammer at the ground and sent another shock wave. Lizzie immediately dodged, kartwheeling out of the way. "You can't avoid it forever!" Will called, and then ran into her. Knocking some wind out of her, he thrust his hammer down again and the impact sent Lizzie flying and landing on the ground with a thud. As she got up, she was backed up into a building. _'Damnit..' _she thought. "What's the matter Elric?! Am I too much for you to handle?!" she heard Will call, and without warning, she saw the steel hammer coming at her with such great force. Without any time to react, the hammer connected with the top of her head. WHAM!

"Lizzie!" Leo cried in alarm as he saw her body hit the ground with a sickening thud.

"You have me to worry about, remember?!" Strider shouted as he gave Leo a punch to the cheek. Leo stumbled a bit, but then continued his battle with Strider. Lizzie stared at the ground, half concious and half in a deadlike state. Her left eye became dullened a little, and her right showed no pupil.

"What's the matter state dog? Already had enough? Don't tell me that's all you got." Will mocked, stomping his foot on her arm. "Maybe for payback I could destroy your arm with my hammer. Let's see how you would feel if I did that!" Will added, hammer raised. Before Lizzie could respond, she then felt Will's automail hand pull her up by the hair. She saw fuzzily, and couldn't tell what was going on. "How does that sound?" Will said with a sneer.

"Silversteel! Snap out of it!" Lizzie heard Ren called

"Lizzie!" Leo shouted. Lizzie blinked a few times, she could feel her blood from her headwound drip. Still, she saw a little clearer now and was able to hold Will down when she pounced on him, knocking him back. His hammer fell to the ground with a huge thud.

"Tell me, who made you this automail?" Lizzie asked, her hand gripped tightly on it as she struggled to keep him down.

"Some woman with blonde hair and blue eyes!" Will answered, trying to squirm free. He didn't know why he was answering to her questions though.

"You didn't hurt her, did you?" Lizzie asked, her hand then holding him down even further.

"Well we beat her a little, well, Strider and the others did. We had to make sure she wasn't a military spy." Will said.

"YOU WHAT!?" Lizzie practically shouted in disbelief. She even let go of Will.

"Why the heck do you care?! She wasn't a spy, so we finally figured that out after 10 minutes." Will added as he got up and brushed himself off. He didn't hesitate to pick up his hammer.

"You beat her for 10 minutes!?" Lizzie yelled. "After she was kind enough to give you an arm you BEAT her?!" she screamed. Tears started rolling down her cheeks.

"Relax! We let her go! Why are you so concerned?! State dog, why would _you_ care! You're so willing to kill rebels, and to hurt us that you only care about your selfish needs!" Will screamed, not understanding why she was crying.

"I may kill rebels, but that's because I have to! You really think I _enjoy_ killing people!? Killing is killing, and I hate it all! I just want this to stop, and I would never hurt someone after they would help me! Whether it be friend or foe! I can't believe you'd do that!" Lizzie said in hysterics.

"Geez Elric cool it! Why're you so curious who took care of my arm?! _You're_ the one who tore it off in the first place!"

"I can't believe you! I even apologized to your dad for taking your arm away!"

"Wh-what!?"

"How could you beat my mom after she helped you?! Why! She just wanted to help you and you hurt her in return! My mom would never do that to someone! I can't believe you did that! I mean, I know she probably forgave you but if I were in her shoes I'd beat you to a bloody pulp!" Lizzie shouted.

"Y...Your mom?.." Will said in a mere whisper. He was speechless, and his hammer dropped from his hand. She apologized to his dad? Her mom gave him a new arm? Guilt suddenly weighed the poor boy down as he looked at Lizzie who was completely letting her guard down.

"H-hey calm down! We let her go she's not dead or anythin'!" Will said. Before Lizzie could respond, there was a sudden shout. The two turned to see Leo ni the middle as on each side of him there was Strider and Greg who apparently joined the battle.

"You're done state dog!" Strider said, aiming his arm to the building behind Greg. Greg had a bomb out that was aimed for the building behind Strider. At the same time, both bombs were sent and there was a huge explosion. As the two buildings began to crumble and fall, Lizzie saw that Leo couldn't escape because he was trapped by the powers of alchemy, holding his legs down. Lizzie turned to Ren, but saw that she had her hands tied up. Immediately, Lizzie rushed foward at blinding speed.

"Leo!" she shouted. She saw the rubble falling, she wasn't going to make it! By that time the rebels disappeared. _'No! I'm not losing you too!'_ Lizzie thought. She **was** going to make it. "LEO!" With a bit of strength she had, she lunged and knocked him down, protecting him, uprooting his chains of earth holding him down.

"Lizzie, no!" she heard him shout. Suddenly she just acted on instinct really. She couldn't even remember what she was doing. The whole two building remains crashed down on both of them, but not before a loud noise was made and a crackling of light was seen. After that, Lizzie only saw darkness, until she suddenly saw in her mind a Gate, and that same shadow.

_"You just don't know when to leave."_ it said with a grin. The Gate opened, and then Lizzie saw a blinding flash inside. Inside the Gate, behind that blinding flash of light, she saw a figure that looked all too familiar. _'Dad...'_

E-N-D--O-F--C-H-A-P-T-E-R--15

Lizzie: ooh what's next?!

Me: you'll see. all u reviewers and readers, since this was a short chapter i promise you i will have the next chapter out on monday. and i'm actually not sure about this... but i'm wondering if ray should either retire or die... to make it more dramatic.

Ray: WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?

Me: what do u think readers? (ignores ray's loud yelling) (Ed and Al enter) ah! ed, al, welcome!

Ed: good to be here. (sits down in a chair that's taller than he is)

Al: i'm so excited to be in the next chapter! (smiles widely)

Ed: Al, you're 33 now, **act like it**

Me: I see you haven't grown that much Ed. still as shrimpy as ever huh?

Ed: **who are you callin' short?! who are you callin' a shrimp who can't even reach the top of a bookcase that's 6 feet tall!? i'll show u!!**

Me: all i said was that u were still shrimpy! geez! ...and, you can't even reach the top of the chair ur sitting on.

Ed: (looks up, vein pops) **i'll show you short! I'll show you the power of short people!! -spins Silver around and around in a circle-**

Me: Put! Me! Doooooooooooooown!

Ed: **Buwahahahahahhhahahah!!!**

Al: Brother, you're 38 now. **Act like it** -kitten walks by- **kitty!** -hugs the cat-

Me: Please! Leave! A! Reviiiiiiiewwww!!! Aaaaaaaaaaah! (if u find this chapter worthy of it that is..)


	16. Ed and Al's Appearance!

A/N: ok everyone. just like i promised! it's very short, but ed and al make their first appearance! sadly, it's only 13 pgs... but i can assure u that they will return. and of course i had to throw in another new character for my whole plan to work -glint appears- so anyways, this is my idea of what ed and al have basically been up to... and i realize that when i typed this, they're supposed to be 38 and 33.. but i made them both sound like they were still teenagers. so i apologize for that! Arigatou, please R&R if u find this chapter worthy of it.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FMA

**Chapter 16: Ed and Al's Special Appearance!**

_As Ed and Al were in the back of the truck with Noah, they simply smiled at eachother. There couldn't be any other words that could describe how the two brothers felt, now that they were reunited again._

_"Brother, now that we're together, what's our next step?" Al asked._

_"Easy Al. We find the other bombs." Ed replied casually. Al laughed at his brother's easy going tone. Finding the bombs wouldn't be easy, it'd be like finding needles in a haystack._

_"And after that?" Al asked, a little hesitant. There was a short pause, and Edward looked up to the sky._

_"After that... we find a way to get home. Back to the house with the waiting family all standin' at the front door, with big smiles on their faces." Ed said with a grin. He pictured Winry laughing, Pinako smiling as she cried, and Den wagging his tail and barking. Al nodded with a smile. He knew how much Ed wanted to see Winry again, even if it would take a few years to find a way back home._

18-----Years-----Later

_"Edward! EDWARD!" _a voice screamed. It was anger, and bitter...

"No...no go away..." Ed mumbled.

_"Why Ed why?! What kind of-"_

"NO!" Ed roared, jolting up from his bed. Sweat ran down his face as he breathed heavily, staring at the sheets.

"Brother?" a low voice called once a door had opened. A little bit of light cracked open. Ed looked up to see his brother. Al was already in his outfit for work. His hair was in a ponytail while his bangs swooped upward just a little as they got in the way of his left eye a little.

"It's only you, Al." Ed said. As Ed got up, he hopped over to the bathroom sink. Turning the cold water on, he splashed some on his face.

"Brother? Did you have that dream again?" Al asked. Ed sighed, looking at himself in the mirror. He frowned, and watched as some water dripped down his hair. When was the last time he had shaved? _'Damnit. I'm beginning to look more and more like dad every day! I really gotta shave.'_ Ed thought to himself. He still had his hair in a ponytail now, but it was more pushed back and longer. He was also beginning to grow himself a beard, which he would not keep. Sooner or later he'd shave it all off. Ed still could recognize his own features when he was 18, still had his own face and eyes, and looks for that matter. Always having that little strand of hair stick out. As he wiped his face with a towel, he turned to his brother, balancing himself as he held onto the sink with his left hand.

"Yeah. It always ends with that voice, screaming to me "what kind of-", and it stops." Ed explained. Al simply shrugged after a moment or two

"I wouldn't worry too much about it, Brother. Now come on and get dressed. Mr. Hein isn't going to like it if we get to work late again. Be sure to bring your mask with you too." Al reminded, and walked out the door. Ed stood there for a moment, and simply hobbled back to the bed. He took out a box that was filled with artificial skin and mechanical arms and legs, and simply hooked them on.

"I'm about sick and tired of Mr. Hein anyways. Making him angry doesn't hurt me at all." Ed muttered to himself as he clenched his right hand into a fist. After Ed and Al had taken care of the rest of the uranium bombs, they decided to get themselves jobs. They were done finding the bombs when they were 25 and 20. After that, they decided to get jobs that involved the kind of work Alfons did when he was alive. That dream wouldn't leave him alone today. All the time, that voice sounded so familiar, so like Winry's... but Winry wouldn't shout at him, because he knew that she was always waiting for him to come home. So, whose voice was it?

As Ed put on his suit, pants, and tie, he walked casually down the stairs. He saw Al at the bottom of the stairs, waving his hand.

"Brother! Hurry up!" Al called.

"Coming!" Ed responded as he picked up the pace. As Ed met Al at the bottom of the steps, they walked outside to where they worked.

S-T-R-E-E-T-S--O-F--M-U-N-I-C-H

As Ed and Al made their way to where they worked, they ran into Officer Hughes and Gracia. Their daughter who was 18 by this time waved to them.

"Good morning Mrs. Hughes!" Ed called kindly.

"Good morning Edward." Gracia said with a warm smile. Hughes crept up behind her with a smile as he wrapped his arms around her waste.

"Morning boys, or should I say, Morning Gentlemen!" Hughes joked. Both brothers smiled.

"Ed! Promise you'll help me out with my rocket today?" their daughter, Elicia called. Ed nodded.

"Sure! I'll be ready to get it working for you as soon as I get back from work." Ed said and Elicia grinned. As the two brothers continued to walk down the path, they saw Noah around a bunch of small children. They all chatted for a while before heading off again. A few ways down the road, Al looked at his brother.

"Ed? Something on your mind? Is that dream bothering you still?" Al asked.

"Yeah. I mean, it just won't leave me alone today. It's stronger than ever. It's like, I have a feeling who's calling to me but I can't answer, and I don't know who I'm answering to." Ed replied.

"Do you think maybe your dream could be connected to our home? Maybe we could finally get home." Al said in a mere whisper.

"No Al. I've told you a hundred times probably, alchemy is our only hope. We just have to keep trying. I know that somehow if we could do alchemy here then we-"

"But we can't Brother. We can't use alchemy here." Al interrupted.

"But you don't know that! For all we know, we might just have to find a way for it to be used!" Ed suddenly yelled, having some people stare at him. With another few seconds, the two brothers were silent once again. When they made their way to the work area, they saw their boss come up to them.

"There you two are. I've been waiting forever!" he shouted. Ed and Al stood straight with firm looks on their faces. Mr. Hein simply sneered, and they went to their workposts.

R-O-C-K-E-T--A-R-E-A

As Ed was testing the rockets fuel tanks, he had his mask firmly over his mouth. He had a good guess that Alfons had acquired his illness thanks to the fumes in this place, and didn't want to put his health or his brothers at risk. He sighed heavily, that voice just wouldn't leave his head. It kept making him annoyed, and angered. He had already tried making his day a little better, thinking about the rockets like no tommorow. Still, _"What kind of a!-"_ Ed winced, rubbing his temples bitterly. He looked at the clock, and it only read 4:55. _"EDWARD! EDWARD!"_

"Just be quiet already!" Ed yelled. Opening his eyes, he then realized he just shouted at a fellow co-woker. "O-oh.. John I, I didn't see you there um, sorry about that." Ed said quietly. John simply walked off. As Al came over, Ed turned to him.

"Brother?"

"Do me a favor Al. Tell Mr. Hein that I went home. I'm just not up for it today." Ed said as he turned away and walked out. Al frowned, but decided to continue working. He would have a chat with his brother later on.

A-P-A-R-T-M-E-N-T

As Ed found his way home (but not before helping Elicia with her toy rocket), he fell into a deep sleep as he landed on the couch. In his sleep, he had another dream. He was surrounded by darkness, and in that darkness there was an echo. A soothing voice called to him.. _"Edward...Edward..."_ Ed followed the voice where it echoed, and soon found himself in a white room. Suddenly, he heard another voice, but this time much more stern and earsplitting. _"EDWARD! EDWARD!"_ Ed looked around for where the noise was coming from, but it was too loud to even locate. _"EDWARD! EDWARD!!! HOW COULD YOU!? WHAT COULD BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN-"_

"NO!" Ed shouted as he awoke from his sleep. _'Damnit.. I woke up too soon!'_ he thought. Though, this time his dream went on a little more. Suddenly, he saw Al standing in the doorway. Looking around for a clock, Ed saw that it read 7:30.

"Brother? Can I, talk to you for a moment?" Al asked, coming in. Ed moved over and watched his brother side beside him. There was a short pause, before Al spoke. "Brother, I've been thinking... Don't you think that maybe your dreams are telling you something? ...Don't you think that, that maybe we should try again? To open the Door? To make it back home? Don't you think 18 years of being over here and studying alchemy as best we can here is enough?" Al asked.

"I don't know Al, I just-"

"Well why not? Brother, we've accomplished so much here already! We've found and destroyed all of the uranium bombs, what's left?" Al said. Ed was silent. Finally, he stood and walked over to his desk area.

"Al, it's not time yet. We can't go home, **not yet**. We still have to study more, we still have to keep trying our alchemy here.. There's probably so much more that we need to figure out to be successful.We just have to, I know it. We have to before we can ever go back to that place." Ed said with a low hiss. That place? How could he call his home, _that place_?

"But what about Winry!? And what about.. what about.. Granny Pinako? It might be even too late to see her now..." Al protested, his voice becoming soft as it drifted.

"Al, you know as well as I do that alchemy is the only way for us now! We have to keep trying, otherwise we'll never make it home in time!" Ed seethed.

"But Brother, we've been at it for 18 years, and still we haven't found the key! Or the answer! We can't summon it again! We've tried and tried, why not just-"

"Just what Al?!" Ed hissed with an angry shout. "You know that we can't do that. I mean, alchemy is our only hope and I'm not giving up!" Ed said, slamming his fist on the desk. A picture fell making a crashing noise. Ed angrily picked it up, and then stared at the picture. It was of himself, Al, and Winry... when they were still young and whole...

"Brother... maybe we can find another way besides alchemy. I mean, there has to be a way to open it again. And after opening it, then we can get back home!"

"There is no other way Al. Alchemy is our only solution. And I have a feeling we're very close to the answer. Soon, very soon we'll be able to go home. To go back to Winry and all of them. We still need to try though. All I'm saying, is that we need to learn more than we already have to be on the safe side. I don't want anything to happen to us, I want nothing to go wrong.." Ed said, and walked over to his little brother. He placed his hands on Al's shoulders, and stared him straight in the eyes. "I don't want to lose you." he said sternly. Al stared at his brother with a guilty look, but then nodded.

"I agree. I don't want to lose you either Brother." Al said and the two brothers smiled.

"Dinner is set." Noah said quietly, smiling. Both Ed and Al gladly ate the dinner Noah had prepared, and had a nice family kind of meal. When it was all finished, Ed rose from his seat.

"I'm going out for a bit." Ed said. As he made his way to the door, Al stopped him.

"B-brother, I forgot to mention this but um... you got fired from your job.." Al said silently. Ed sounded like he was going to blow a gasget.

"WHAT?! I GOT FIRED!?" Ed screamed. Al simply nodded.

"I'm sorry Brother! I tried to pursuade Mr. Hein, but he said if I kept defending you I'd be fired too! And seeing that I'm the only one who pays the rent with our money, if we both get fired we'll be living on the streets." Al explained. Ed simply stomped off.

"FINE! See if I care anyways! I'll just get another job Al!" Ed called back, and walked out of the apartment.

S-T-R-E-E-T-S--O-F--M-U-N-I-C-H

As Ed silently walked down the busy streets of Munich, he sighed with relief when he saw Officer Hughes with his coffee and doughnuts. His shift for today was done, and normally he just came by the coffee shop to get a few things.

"Hey Edward! Care to join me?" Hughes called with a wave. Ed didn't hesitate to walk over and sit himself down. After all, it had been a while since he had had a nice chat with good old Officer Hughes.

C-O-F-F-E-E--S-H-O-P

"So Ed, what seems to be on your mind at this hour?" Hughes asked, watching Ed eat his meal quietly. Hughes knew it wasn't like Ed to just sit down and have a good meal without some form of communication. As Ed sipped his coffee, he placed it down and let out a very long sigh.

"I keep having a strange re-occurring dream. And lately it's been bugging me like there's no tommorow." Ed replied.

"What's the dream about Ed?" Hughes asked.

"Well.. it's hard to say. One minute I'm somewhere, who the hell knows where... and the next minute I hear a loud voice scream out my name in anger. I don't even know what I did wrong, the voice just calls out angrily to me. It's strange, it also gets cut off too just when I'm about to get a good feeling of what the person's trying to tell me." Ed explained as best as he could. Hughes simply tilted back on his chair, and put his feet up on the table.

"Well Ed, have you ever thought that maybe your dream is tellin' you something?" Hughes asked.

"I try to think maybe what the dream's telling me... but I'm completely clueless." Ed replied calmly. Hughes sipped a little more of his coffee, and then looked back at Ed.

"Maybe you should take a break from everything. You seem like you need a vacation." Hughes said with a smile. Ed grinned.

"Yeah. I've been working my ass off for that stupid boss Mr. Hein." Ed said with a growl.

"Hein isn't that bad Ed. Maybe if you didn't drive him crazy you'd actually get him to like you." Hughes said with a laugh. Ed just sighed. As he stood, he looked at Hughes with a smile.

"I'll keep that in mind Hughes. Anyways, I need to get going. Alphonse is probably wondering where I ran off to. I've been gone for at least an hour by now." Ed said with a smile, leaving the shop.

"Hey Ed! Just don't think about it for a while. Maybe you'll understand your dream better if you let it all play out!" Hughes tried to suggest. Ed smiled.

"Thanks Hughes. I'll see you later." Ed said and walked out the door. He didn't even need to turn back to see what the loud crash was as he walked out.

"You shouldn't be leaning back on that chair like that sir!" a waitress screamed.

"I'm so sorry! I'll clean it up right away!" Hughes said in a frantic tone.

S-T-R-E-E-T-S--O-F--M-U-N-I-C-H

As Ed silently walked down the busy streets of Munich, he stumbled upon a bookshop that was selling one of the newest books there was. Ed decided to check what the book was about, and suddenly it caught his eye. _Does Alchemy Really Exist? By: Eliza Elurich_. On the cover was a simply transmutation circle with a question mark planted in the center. Quickly, Ed rushed into the bookstore to run up to the clerk.

"I'd like one copy of _Does Alchemy Really Exist?_ please." Ed said in a panted voice.

"You could just ask the author herself." the bookstore owner said, pointing. Ed turned, seeing a hoard of people surrounding the author of the book. He practically shoved his way through.

"Excuse me! Pardon me! I have to get to the author please!" Ed shouted as he finally made his way through. He then turned back to the crowd.

"Hey man, watch it! WE want to criticize as well!" a man called.

"Criticize?" Ed asked in disbelief.

"Yeah! Does alchemy exist? What kind of joke is that! Of course it doesn't exist, it's only a myth!" another woman cried.

"Whoever got the book published for that kid should get his job taken away!" another man cried.

"K-kid?" Ed stammered and then turned to face the author. They were right. In front of him was the author of this book, but she was only 16 years old. She had long golden hair and light blue eyes, but something about her gave Ed the impression that she almost looked like him if she wasn't a girl. He also believed that she was Winry at first quick glance. The girl stared into Ed's confused golden eyes, and simply smiled.

"Sir, could I help you with something? Or are you also here to criticize my book as well?" the girl asked. She sounded like she had been through a rough day, even though it was only 8:45. Ed stared long at hard at the girl, a determined look on his face. He then grabbed her by the hand and dragged her and a copy of her book.

"GOOD RIDDENCE!" a man shouted after them.

S-T-R-E-E-T-S

As Ed practically dragged the poor girl and her book down the street, the girl finally broke free from Ed's grasp. Ed turned quickly to the girl who seemed to be pretty angry.

"And where do you think you're taking me?" she asked in a huff.

"Look, I need your help." Ed said and brought her book to her face.

"What about my book? What do you need my help with?" the girl asked.

"Alchemy. I need you to tell me how you think we could use alchemy here." Ed responded.

"What's your name? I'm Eliza Elurich." the girl introduced.

"Edward. Edward Elric." Ed simply said with a smile. The girl smiled back, and then took Ed by the hand.

"All right Mister Elric. Where shall I teach you how to learn alchemy here?" she asked. Ed simply guided her to his apartment, where Noah and Al were waiting.

A-P-A-R-T-M-E-N-T

"It's just up these stairs miss. I'm sorry for dragging you away from the store." Ed apologized for about the thirtyeth time. Eliza just laughed.

"It's quite all right Mr. Elric. I was actually planning on bolting out the door if I had to listen to one more rude comment about my book. To be quite honest, I'm the one who published it." Eliza said with a glint appearing in her eye. Ed just laughed.

"Sneaky." he said, and then opened the door to his apartment. When the two entered, they saw Noah cleaning up some dishes, and Al tapping his foot angrily.

"Brother, where have you been?" Al asked impatiently, arms folded across his chest.

"Al, look at this." Ed said and threw the book at him. Al quickly glanced over it, and his facial expression changed.

"Wh..Who-"

"It's by me, sir." Eliza said quietly. Al stared at the teenager in amazement.

"Al," Ed said, one of his famous grins starting to appear. "We're going home." Ed said with a smile, and Al simply grinned. Eliza seemed to wonder what they meant, but if she was going to help them with alchemy, it was worth while. At least someone believed her after all. _'Allison... this is for you.'_ she thought with a smile on her face.

"Well now, Mr. Elric and Mr. Al, shall we get started?" Eliza said, planting herself down on a seat. Ed and Al quickly followed, and listened carefully to what Eliza was telling them. She would explain everything to them, and in doing so they would be one step closer in finding out how to get home. All throughout Eliza's careful explanations, Ed kept thinking in his mind, _'Finally.. Winry. I'll get to see you, soon.'_ As he thought this, Ed's smile could be seen growing bigger, and wider, until he couldn't grin anymore than he already was. This was a true miracle for him.

E-N-D--O-F--C-H-A-P-T-E-R--16

Me: well ed, al. how'd u like ur first appearance?

al: i simply liked it **:3**

ed: yea it was ok. **--B( **(bear with me people, the -- is supposed to be the little string thingy ed has when he goes bald with one strand of hair)

Me: ed u got somethin to say? **¬.¬**

Ed: well, i kinda felt like i was acting like a 16 year old again. couldn't u have made me more... i dunno, mature?

Me: . . . U? MATURE?** :o**

Ed: well i can be at some times!

Me: -recalls the time where ed almost got run over by that huge boulder booby trap. recalls when ed got burned to a crisp by mustang. recalls when ed suddenly had that crazy idea about drinking wine from the lior fountain. recalls-

Ed: i get the picture! but fine i guess i won't be mature.

Me: at least i made you a good teenaged 38 year old. **:-D**

Ed: thanks

Al: what about me?

Me: al u were just great! **:-D**

Al: aww shucks. **:3**

Me: anyways guys, please leave a review. anyways, until whenever i can update again! since summer is here i'll be able to get more typed up, so it will probably be up in about 5 days possibly. o yes! the next chapter is going to have leoxliz romance hehehehe.

Lizzie and Leo: **WE HATE YOU SO DAMN MUCH RIGHT NOW! 8-( **

Me: aheheh... so anyways, yes, expect the new chapter in 5 days! that is, if i don't forget and loose track of time **-.- **Arigatou! byebye -Silver


	17. Silversteel Begins to melt Over Flame

A/N: ok, i apologize, this is another long chapter.. around 20 pgs... skim if u must, i don't mind. so ok, here we go with chapter 17. i hope u like how i did the lizxleo. i was really pleased with how it went.. please R&R if u find this chapter worthy, arigatou everyone. oh! and be sure to read EVERYTHING at the bottom, it concerns this story and such... it would be most appreciated if u read everythin after chapter 17 ends. thank u, and let's move on with the story.

**Disclaimer: **There is no way I could own a great anime like Fullmetal Alchemist. Just too amazing for me :)

**Chapter 17: Steel Begins to Melt Over Flames**

Drip. Drip. Drip... The echo continued to playback in Lizzie's mind. She saw a single droplet of rain drop from some height, and make ripples that seemed to clense her mind. Drip. Drip. Drip... The ripples grew larger as they made their circles until finally they disappeared, and Lizzie found herself opening her eyes wearily and painfully. Her head was pounding, and she looked at what seemed to be like a dome. How they got here, she had no clue. Everything from before this point on was fuzzy.

"You ok, Liz?" a calm voice asked. Turning abruptly, she felt very dizzy, but saw Leo who was by a small fire.

"A-al..chemy?" Lizzie asked, straining. Her whole back ached. What exactly happened? Leo smiled weakly, walking over to her.

"Not exactly.. My dad gave me a lighter and stuff, and I brought a first aid kit and survival stuff with me.. Now don't talk, you'll save your strength." Leo said with a grin. Lizzie nodded, and then looked around again. "You saved my life, you know." Leo said. "We've been in here for three days straight now... if it hadn't been for this little hole of light for air, we'd probably be dead by now..." he added.

"...I, had to.." Lizzie said, finding it very hard to speak. Now that she had her wits about her, she saw Leo sweating. Three days they were stuck here? Three days... when would it be time for them to lose air completely and die? Did anyone even know they were alive?

"I told you NOT TO TALK." Leo said with an angry look. There was a short silence, and then Lizzie smirked.

"I... thought you, hated my...guts." she whispered. Leo angrily hovered above her now.

"Last time, don't talk!... Liz, you've lost more air than I have these past few days. I don't even know what's going on outside anymore. Rarely I hear shouts and gunshots, but that's it. You're hurt badly, your head wound was serious, you have one broken rib, and you broke your left leg. You saved my life at the cost of hurting yourself, and I thank you for that. Now, it's best if you don't move." Leo said, now affectionately carressing her cheek. Lizzie smiled, and then looked at the fire. Beside it was the first aid kit, and some bandages that were covered in blood..

"Why... do you have a, first aid in the first case? I didn't think you would bring something that is neccessary." she asked teasingly. Leo smirked.

"After my career, I'm planning on becoming a medic." Leo said with a grin.

"Doctor much?" Lizzie joked with a weak laugh, followed by a few coughs. She then clapped her hands, and slowly rose. "I'll get us out.." she muttered as she placed her hands on the ground. Nothing happened.

"Lie back down damnit! You're so damn stubborn I can't stand it! I-"

"Ssssh... you're going to run out of air. Can't have that now can we?" Lizzie weakly smiled. Looking down, she saw that she had bandages wrapped securely around her leg, and some more bandages around her stomach. She then felt her head, and realized a bandage was on that too. It took her a moment to realize some of the bandage covered her right eye. Lizzie stared at Leo for a moment, mouthing a thank you before the two heard gunshots and screams.

"I hope they're all right." Lizzie said, worried.

"They'll be fine. We need to get out of here." Leo replied softly. Giving her alchemy another try, Lizzie managed to create a powerdrill.

"Let's go.. If we can make a hole outta here we'll be outside.." Lizzie said, trying to move her leg and her whole body. Leo stopped her though and pushed her back down gently.

"If you do that, you'll re-open your wounds." he said sternly, and carefully placed her on his back. Holding her up with his left hand, he used his right to turn the drill on and started to drill the side where the little bit of air could be seen. As for the outside, the war in Xenotime raged on.

Fullmetal-----Alchemist

At Russell and Fletcher's home, Lys had not once come out of her room ever since three days ago. The memory still was lauged in her mind.

_The rubble was falling, Lys wasn't going to make it in time! She could barely see what was going on, it was all happening so quickly. She saw the rebels leave, taking Ren with them who had fallen unconcious due to a neck knockout done by Evan. The next thing she saw was Lizzie rushing to Leo's aid, pushing him down, clapping her hands and a sudden flash of sparkling light appeared as the rubble and debris fell on them both._

_"LIZZIEEE!!!!!" Lys screamed at the top of her lungs. When the smoke cleared, she saw that there was a spark of light coming from inside, and the rubble was piled up upon a strong and sturdy dome made of stone. Unfortunately, the dome and the debris combined together so the two couldn't get out even if they tried. Lys ran over to the dome, and saw some blood seep from the base._

_"Lizzie! Leo! Can you hear me?!" she screamed. It took a few seconds before she heard movement._

_"Lys, you out there?!" Leo called._

_"Thank God! Are you all right Leo? What about Lizzie?!" Lys called. There was a short pause._

_"We're both fine! What about you, and Ren?" Leo called back._

_"... Ren was captured by the rebels. I'm fine, but Ray is.. in critical condition. He lost more blood than we realized. He might have to be hospitalized at this rate and retire from the military." Lys explained. "Tell me the truth, how's my sister?" she then added. Another short pause._

_"She saved my life... before the alchemy was able to work some of the debris crashed on her leg.. I think it's broken. I was ok, I got just a few scratches. Don't worry though, I'll take care of her. In the meantime, go tell my father to not come get a recovery service for us. When we get outta here I'll go in search for Ren. Make sure to tell him that! And don't ever come back to this place Lys, you can't let the rebels know we're alive!" Leo responded. Lys gulped once, and then nodded to herself._

_"Yes sir! Will do! In the meantime, stay alive.." Lys said and ran off. 'Easier said than done...' Leo thought. 'Now.. to attend to your wounds.. Silversteel you are so stubborn.' he added in his mind with a loving and concerned grin._

Lys was beginning to lose hope now. Ray had been taken back to Central ASAP, unless he wanted to die, and it had already been three days and no sign of her sister, Leo, or Ren. Lys was beginning to think they all were dead by now. Sniffling silently to herself, she heard the door click open and immediately turned to the window, wiping away the tears.

"May I accompany you Miss Alyssa?" a voice asked. Lys turned slightly to see Fletcher standing there.

"Oh.. Of course." Lys said with a bright smile. As Fletcher smiled, he sat down beside her. There was an awkward moment of silence before Fletcher spoke.

"I'm sure they are all fine. They'll figure out a way out of the mess they're in, I'm sure of it. Besides, if your sister is kin to Edward, there's no doubt in my mind that they will be all right." Fletcher said with a smile. Lys nodded, but then sighed with a frown. She just wished that his words could get through to her, because right now she just feared the worst...

B-A-T-T-L-E-F-I-E-L-D

"Come on damnit!" Leo said with an angry roar as he was able to make a bigger crack in the wall. Already the drill was losing power, and each time Leo had come back to successfulness, the hole would close once again. Huffing, he set Lizzie down and slumped. "There's no use... it just won't do it." he said, huffing and puffing. Lizzie shifted her weight slightly, and sat up. She extended her hand to him.

"I need you to hold on to my hand for a moment." she said. For a few brief seconds, Leo's cheeks turned pink. "Do you wanna live or what?" she snapped, making him take firm hold of her hand. He could tell she blushed once, trying to gather her thoughts. After a few moments, she sighed. "Now use your other one to clap mine." Leo obeyed once again. Now, she placed her hand over her state watch, and the steel began to cover herself and Leo's body. Once both were covered, silently Lizzie stood and clapped her hands, placing them on the ground. Suddenly, her famous creation was created, and in an uproar destroyed the dome the two had been stuck in. There was a huge explosion, and as the dragon disappeared Lizzie took Leo by the hand.

"Lizzie?"

"Let's run. Hurry." Lizzie responded and the two clanked off at top speed, away from the explosion. About five minutes later, a few rebels came to the area.

"So, the Elric girl and military boy escaped. Go! Find them, and bring them to me!" Strider shouted, and his men nodded and ran off at top speed to go and find the two runaways.

Hagane-----no-----RenkinJutsushi!

As Lizzie and Leo ran and ran until their lungs gave out, the steel began to receed back to the pocketwatch, and Leo immediately caught Lizzie in his arms who breathed heavily.

"Good escape plan Lizzie. Now you just hold on, I'll get us to a good spot." Leo said as he placed her on his back.

"Okay..." she said in a mere whisper. As the two ran down the alleyway, Leo tried to navigate his way around this part of Xenotime. First of all, it was nighttime, so the war probably had ceased for now. Second, this part of Xenotime was where Leo was lost. And third, they were intterupted by a pair of shiny white eyes, staring at them.

"What.. is that?!" Leo practically exclaimed, backing away.

"What's what..?" Lizzie wondered as she looked up, her eyes suddenly going wide. In front of them was a huge shadow like creature, four beady white eyes shining. Two of them seemed larger than the other two below while the two below more looked like they were made out of glass... On the creatures forehead, Lizzie could vaguely make out a blood red colored tattoo. A snake biting its own tail, and in the middle a drawing of David's star... It looked like a huge werewolf type being, a combination of a werewolf and bear. The wolflike snout snarled angrily, pearly white teeth shining as savage drool ran down it. Its ears were like a wolf's, but more roundish like a bears. The tail was strongly like a wolves, but its figure was more of a strong, large bear. The strange thing, was its paws.. they were more shaped like deformed hands, the fingers long with sharp claws at the end of them.

_"Hrrrrrrrrrrr..."_ It hissed at them, growling and snarling. Taking another step back, the thing took a step closer. It jumped from where it was sitting, on an iron type fence. Leaping, it landed with a tremendous THUD, making Leo almost lose his balance.

"Stay back.." Leo warned, grabbing his gun and using a free hand. The creature hissed out a name very faintly.

_"Auuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..."_ it practically wheezed out. Placing a huge bear wolf hand paw down, it made a large crater on the bottom. Backing away again, Leo turned to see rebels coming at him!

"STOP! IN THE NAME OF THE REBEL LEADER STRIDER!" one of them called. Leo then looked at the creature who seemed interested in the movement being made. It lifted it head and let out a piercing roar.

_"NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINAAAAAA!!! NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINAAAAAAAAA!!" _it howled at the top of its lung. Lizzie's eyes went wide. The rebels stopped in their tracks, staring at the creature before them.

"What _is_ that?!" one of the rebels cried.

"Forget about what it is! Just take it down!" another, already creating a transmutation circle. In a whirl, the giant creature leapt onto the alchemist, digging its fangs into the rebel's abdomen and ripping out his liver. The man screamed in pain, blood already soaking the animals fur. Leo just stared in amazement, while Lizzie still stared in total astonishment. No way... that couldn't be... could it? _"Ninaa..." _that hissing voice entered her mind. No!... It was... that.. that thing! And it was looking for Nina.. but Nina was gone. So who else would it try and find?

"Sarah..." Lizzie whispered. Suddenly, the two watched as the thing started to kill all of the rebels around it. It seemed that it was only attacked whatever seemed to be threatening it. Seeing this, Leo quickly slipped away. Away from that.. whatever it was. Soon, he found himself looking for a small place to stay. Seeing a broken down room, he decided that it would be best for tonight.

A-B-A-N-D-O-N-E-D--H-O-U-S-E

Moving up to the second floor, Leo looked around to see a bed that seemed a little torn up, but still in good use. Placing Lizzie down carefully, he stared out the window for signs of the thing that ripped apart the rebels.

"Looks like it's gone... Have any clue what that _thing_ was?" Leo asked with a huff.

"I think... I think it was that, that creature that Nina tried to bring back.. I think.. that's her father." Lizzie answered.

"N-no way.." Leo choked. "My father shot that thing to smithereens! There's no way that it-"

_"NIINAA..."_ the teens suddenly heard a voice choke. As Leo stared out the window again, he saw the creature walking calmly down the alleyway. Leo's eyes went wide. The creatures muzzle was covered in blood, its coat completely soaked in red. Dangling from the creatures muzzle Leo could see severed arms, legs, and one eye dripping. The werewolf bear got up on its hind legs, and howled at the moon. Suddenly Leo ducked out of the window's reach, gasping for breath. It was almost as if staring at that creature could just make you want to hurl..

"Leo?.. What's wrong?" Lizzie asked, and positioned herself to look out the window.

"No..don't look..." Leo practically croaked, but it was too late. Lizzie found herself looking out the window, and staring at the creature before her. Her eyes grew wide, and her lips quivered. The creature was on its hind legs, standing up. Looking for Sarah probably, except in its body were parts of human flesh, bone, arms, hands, legs, heads decapitated from the bodies, like it was absorbing the human flesh until they rotted and turned to skeletons.

"Oh...my...God.." she mumbled to herself, and quickly retreated from the window, placing a hand over her own mouth. It was horrible to even see, the stench of the creature was as foul as ever. Peeking back up, she saw the monster finally disappear in sight, jumping up on a building about 28 feet tall, and finally blending into the darkness... Leo huffed a little before he sat down next to Lizzie.

"Try to explain to me something Lizzie, how can that creature still be alive?" Leo asked calmly.

"I... I have a theory.. it might be a.. a Homunculous." she answered quietly.

"What?! Do those things really even exist!" Leo cried in disbelief. Lizzie thought for a moment, remembering the tattoo on the creature's forehead.

"That tattoo, it's a symbol of proof. I remember a long time ago my mother was telling me another wild adventure my father had. She said that he battled all kinds of monsters, and one of them was his teacher Izumi Curtis's boy. The child was a homunculous, having the same tattoo that thing does now. She told me he turned good though, but never heard from him after a certain accident. Never told me what it was.." Lizzie explained. Leo looked up at the ceiling.

"Homunculous huh? If it's a homunculous, how the hell do we get rid of somethin' like that? I mean, they're practically immortal, aren't they?" Leo asked.

"No. I think they have one weakness... Something tied to the life they had before. I'm not sure what though, but if we want to defeat this menace we're going to have to find a source where we could weaken that monster. It has to be stopped.. It's going after Sarah I just know it. I'm glad we didn't leave her at Central.." Lizzie muttered, and then winced as pain entered from her eye to her head. She felt like her head was about to exploud, the pressure started rising.

"Take it easy Silversteel. You're not fully recovered." Leo said as he wrapped his arm over her shoulders. Grinning, she stared into his goofy smirk.

"Whatever." she mumbled with a small smile. Then, she looked down at her pocketwatch, having it held in her hand tighty. As she stared at the damned thing, she suddenly started to laugh a little.

"What's so funny?" he asked, confused.

"I was just thinking... thinking about my father. At first, for a little while I used to love the stories everyone told us about. I even felt happy to be noticed as... maybe, an equal to him because of features. But as the time grew on, and more and more I heard stories about him, I started to hate it all. It all started to bug me a lot, but that was only because I only heard of what a great boy he was. What a great alchemist he was, a legend. The more I heard of him, the more I used to think, "why isn't he home?" or "why won't he show his face?" or "if he's out there, why is he taking his sweet time somewhere else instead of his home?" Lizzie explained.

"Lizzie,"

"And all the time, mom told me that he was coming home, soon. But soon? 16 years... and he's still not here... 16 years, and finally I go off to find him, and suddenly I feel like the old feelings I had for my father are returning. That maybe I can stand up and be an equal to him, rewrite history or something, or do something worth bragging about. And maybe that's selfish, but I used to ask myself a long time ago, "Who is Edward Elric?!" Well... This adventure is one worth mentioning, and I'm going to find my answer soon. I will find him, and finally be able to say, "Edward Elric you ask? Why, he's the famous alchemist who has ever lived! He's the greatest, and I'm proud to call him my father." Hehe. Sounds kinda strange huh?" Lizzie said sheepishly.

"Nah. I'm glad you're finally thinking differently about your old man. With mine, he's the Fuhrer so everyone has to know about him." Leo said with a shrug. "I just wish he'd spend more time being a father than being the Fuhrer while I'm stuck being a military officer. My dreams are being kicked aside, and no one has the curtisy to acknowledge me as they do Ren. She's the alchemist, I'm just the gunman." Leo said with a sweet sigh.

"You should talk to Colonel. I'm sure he would understand. At least you've had a father around for the past 16 years you've lived. I'm just, told about my father. I don't know anything about him... His personality, his voice,... Everything a daughter should know about their dad... what they like, when they're being serious or just joking around, everything a daughter like me should find out.. I have no clue. You at least have some personal stuff to share with your dad." Lizzie said with a smile. Leo nodded.

"Hm. You've got a good point. You really listen to what I gotta say, don't you, Silversteel?" Leo asked. Lizzie just nodded with a shrug.

"And here you are, listening to what I gotta say about my old man." Lizzie said quietly. She then stared back at her watch, and realized a single droplet of water fell onto it. Realizing what she was doing, she turned away.

"Hey. If you gotta cry, cry. It's better to let it all out instead of holding it inside." Leo said calmly. He then placed a finger under her chin, and made her turn his way. The moon's glow brought out the beauty he saw in her eyes, and her face.. Smiling, he brought her closer to him, and placed her on his lap. Sighing, Lizzie decided to place her head on his chest.

"I always vent about my dad... but I always wish I would know him more than I do now. I know he was a great alchemist, I know he basically saved the world from homunculi, I know he did all of these amazing things... I just wish he would come home." she said, choking on her own words through more tears that seemed to stain her watch.

"I know.. I know. You miss him?" Leo asked.

"I miss him.. but at the same time I wish he didn't exist." Lizzie said bitterly.

"Why would you want that?" Leo asked.

"He's caused so much.. so much grief to my mom. She always never gave up on his return, and look where it's gotten her! She's waited for 18 years... and yet she's gotten nothing but agonizing torture! No letters... not even a phone call... No evidence whatsoever to prove that he's out there! And yet she still waits, I can see her waiting there.. sitting at that window, staring out into the open fields as if she's waiting to run out there and give him a welcome hug." Lizzie said, frustration starting to rise.

"It seems their love is more than anyone could ever think. It can overcome anything." Leo said. Lizzie looked up at him.

"I guess... mom does really love him... She's kept this watch for him over so many long years.." Lizzie said, holding it now in a loving way.

"You should give your old man some credit. He might just be out there. But maybe he's waiting for something to, to happen that none of us could give him before he comes back." Leo suggested.

"You're good with this... thanks." she complimented. He blushed a little. There was short silence. "You know.. sometimes for my birthday I would always wish when I blew out the candles, "I wish that daddy will come home for my next birthday, so I can run up to him, have him pick me up in his arms, and give me a hug that only a dad could give". That's what I wanted, always.. always wanted. But then I started growing tired of waiting. I guess I wasn't very patient. But still... a hug from a father, I wouldn't know any compassion from any other man probably besides him. I mean, Uncle Armstrong has acted like a father to me since I was 5.. He hugs me all the time, and I feel okay, but it's just not the same.." Lizzie said, trying to gain self control.

"It's all right Liz, I assure you that you can tell me anything. I'll listen." Leo said comfortingly. Lizzie smiled, and then chuckled to herself. "Now what's funny?" Leo asked.

"Nothing, nothing.. I just never thought I'd start beginning to actually like you better." Lizzie replied. Leo smirked.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Leo asked.

"Well... this has probably been the second time we've both saved eachother, I guess..." Lizzie replied.

"Oh? Name three." Leo said with a smirk.

"Back at Central... the basement, you gave me mouth to mouth. And the train.. you saved me. The rubble and all, I saved you. Getting out of the rubble and all... And now, both of us are going to save your sister.. but it's going to be difficult. I can assure you that we'll probably be up against all of the leaders we ran into at Lior. We'll have to play it safe, and cool. Stealth is an absolute neccessity for this mission." Lizzie said.

"Liz, you are in no condition to go looking for my sister. If anything, I know that she can handle things on her own, even if she's captured now. What we'll do, is that tommorow morning we'll find a way to get back to the others, get you fixed up by Mr. Fletcher, and _then_ we'll look for her." Leo said.

"You sure?" Lizzie asked.

"Positive." Leo replied with a smile.

R-E-B-E-L--H-Q

"Honestly, did Boss man _have_ to choose the coalmines for our hideout?" Evan asked with a simple whine as he sharpened his knives.

"Becuz no von in thid fump uses dem anthyfore." Greg answered, having a mouthful of chips stuffed down as he glugged a bottle of coke down with it. (Translation: Because no one in this dump uses them anymore)

"Geez potato boy, you're talkative today." Evan said, eyes narrowed. He moved back his bangs for a moment, and you could see a lightning shaped scar on his forehead.

"Cuz I saw a monster." Greg answered again, his eyes gleeming and teeth shining as his grin widened. Turning to Evan, you could see on Greg's right cheek he had three scars and one going across his nose.

"Monster? Greg, if you haven't noticed, _we're_ the monsters." Evan responded, his hands behind his head casually.

"A monster bigger than us. Even bigger than me when I'm at my full power, hehehehe." Greg said, now digging into some chicken legs. Evan rolled his eyes, but felt a little wary of Greg's words. _'A monster? Bigger than us? Bigger than you, Greg? That's gotta be the lamest lie I have ever heard from you chubby cheeks.'_ he thought and then looked out the window. He was wondering what was taking the rest of the crew to get back to HQ.

"Oh and, by the way Greg, your makeup sweated off." Evan pointed. Greg rushed over to the mirror and gasped.

"Oh darn! I don't want people seeing these scars... They make me look even more scary! Quick, grab Lina's makeup!" Greg said in panic. Evan laughed and laughed.

"You don't need makeup. You're _supposed_ to look scary." Evan responded cooly. Greg sulked a little. (please read everything at the end of this chapter. it will explain why Greg is wearing makeup)

"HEY! YOU HAD BETTER LET ME OUT OF HERE RIGHT NOW!" a voice screamed from inside a small chamber cell. Evan walked over to where metal bars were seen, and looked over.

"Hey settle down wouldja? Besides, you're just the bait. What we're after for is that state dog what's-her-face." Evan said with a scoff.

"IF YOU THINK YOU'VE BEATEN THE FLAMING INFERNO ALCHEMIST, YOU GOT ANOTHER THING COMIN!" the voice roared angrily.

"You're tied up, you really think you can get free?" Evan challenged with a sneer.

"Hey, don't underestimate me! I'm the great Ren Mustang after all! I could kick your ass in a heartbeat!" Ren angrily screamed.

"Save it, you ain't no match for me. Or tubby for that matter. Besides, you don't know our full potential." Evan said with a laugh. Inside the small, dark, chamber, Ren was tied up from hand to foot. Right now she seemed like she was an angry flopping fish.

"You just wait until I get my hands on you!" Ren roared, and Evan sneered some more.

"I could get used to holdin' hostages." Evan said, finally taking a bite out of his ham sandwhich.

A-B-A-N-D-O-N-E-D--H-O-U-S-E

It all felt like a dream to Lizzie,... really, it did. She felt that now, more than ever, she could tell Leo anything. And anything meant anything, from serious things, to funny things, to stupid things, and more. How long were they talking? Whether it was about their problems, or just of random things, hours seemed to roll on by. Then, all of a sudden Lizzie felt herself being drawn to him.. in some, unnatural force. It was happening so quickly, she wondered if time had stopped for the whole world except them.

Lizzie felt herself look up at Leo, his auburn eyes burning with such fierce integrity. Then, all at once she instinctively placed her hands on his shoulders. She felt Leo's hands wrap around her waist. Lizzie moved closer to Leo's face as she watched him bend down closer to her. Their lips were a few inches away from connecting, when all of a sudden something disturbed their prescence. **BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!!**

Both Lizzie and Leo jerked up from their position, having Lizzie's head bump Leo's chin. They then turned to see a huge hole in the wall, and the creature gasping for breath. Seeming like they weren't breathing, they watched the creature slowly rise, its eyes staring around the room. It saw the two teens, but found them as no threat and simply let out a blood curtling scream.

_"AUUUUUUUURGHHHH!!!!!"_ it howled in a raspy voice, and then another loud noise rung and the monster screeched. From what Lizzie and Leo could see, the monster had been attacked before, having a few bullets lodged in its arm, and some needles sticking out of its now damaged eye. The next thing to two teens saw, was a huge ball that smashed into the monsters abdomen. Writhing in pain now, the creature seemed to place its paws on its stomach to try and hold down the explosion.

Hissing angrily, it let out a low groan as the two teens saw blood suddenly splurt from the open wound now created. The monster seemed to have absorbed the cannon successfully in its stomach to prevent being blown to bits, but utterly had its intestines blown to smithereens inside, blood drooling down the open wound. As the monster moved, puddles of blood, thick guts, and body parts fell, and soon the monster fled into the shadows of the building, out of site. Both Lizzie and Leo were silent, amazed at what just happened. Next thing they knew, they heard voices, and realized it was time to move, quickly.

"We seemed to have weakened that thing. I'll go check it out." they heard a voice call, close to where they were. Quickly, Leo placed Lizzie on his back and moved out of the room into the other spare room the house still had. As Leo placed Lizzie in the torn closet, away from the sight of the new intruders, he moved to the wall, his gun in hand. Glancing over, he saw a familiar face.

It seemed that Skye had appeared on the scene now, rifle in hand and read to shoot. Looking around carefully at the room, she saw the spilled guts of the creature, and seemed to look like she was going to throw up. Still, she walked over to the puddle and bent down, placing a finger in the pool of red.

"Hmph. Still fresh. It just fled, damnit. What the hell did that _thing_ eat?.." she muttered to herself, wiping the blood off on the bedspread and putting a hand to her mouth in disgust.

"Did you get It, Skye? We can't have a thing like that roam around this town. It's gotta go." another voice said. Turning, Skye saw Lina, her needles in her hand as she looked around the room. "Ew, that's just gross. What kind of monster is that thing? It eats humans too? Great, just great." Lina said, eyes rolling when she saw a decapitated head already shrivelling, and a few arms and legs.

"It can'tve gone that far. We can still get a lead on its trail." Skye said, standing up. Lina nodded, and then noticed the bed.

"Is it just me, or do the sheets look a little ruffled to you?" Lina observed. Leo sighed quietly to himself. _'What is she, a neat freak or something?'_ he thought.

"Your point?" Skye asked. Without answering, Lina threw some of her needles. Leo watched them fly right past him, about an inch away from his face.

"Someone is here. Or, some people are here. You go after that creature, I'll look around. Maybe the people are still here." Lina responded, her eyes staring coldly at where Leo was hiding. Leo, facing away from the previous room, felt that this was more than just a sneak up now. Turning back, he saw Lina walk over to the bed, and touch the sheets calmly. She closed her eyes, and in a few seconds she opened them and turned to where Leo was staring. Quickly he turned back, but felt chills run down his spine.

"Come out of your hiding place, military officer Leo Mustang." Lina seethed. Leo stayed silent. "Don't think I don't see you. Is the Elric girl with you as well? Where have you hidden her?" Lina asked, needles at hand. Leo, mustering up some courage, entered the room with his gun pointed quickly at Lina and fired. Lina felt a sharp pain rip her flesh slightly on her arm as she stared at the boy.

"Make one false move and you're dead." Leo seethed. Lina seemed to smile.

"You don't know who you're messing with. I'm one of the seven elite leaders of the rebel warriors, so do you really think you could kill me? _Little Boy?_" Lina taunted.

"Where is my sister. I know you have her somewhere here, so you'd better give her back to me." Leo said angrily.

"Oh, right. Your sister. She is with Evan and Gregory." Lina responded casually.

"What are you planning on doing with her? Where is she?" Leo asked.

"Relax, _little boy_. We're using your sister as bait for the Elric. And if you want to save her you'd best bring Elric alone with you to retrieve your precious sister before she's dead meat." Lina replied.

"Why do you want the Elric girl so badly?" Leo asked, trying to convince this woman that Lizzie wasn't here.

"Don't play dumb with me. I know she's here, with you. I saw it in my vision." Lina said, a small sneer was on her face. Leo dropped his gun down a little from his face, but then quickly placed it back, aiming for the woman's heart.

"You're not getting to her. Now answer my question." Leo said.

"Look, basically revenge is in order. No one hurts one of us and lives to tell the tale. What she did to Will is unforgivable. I will make sure she will suffer, in exchange for you sister's life. You have three days, otherwise your sister is dead. We'll be waiting for you at the entrance town to Xenotime." Lina said, chuckling a little. "I foresee you coming too, so you'd better come." she added, and ran off without another word. Leo stood there for a moment, wondering what in the world just happened. Sighing, he put his gun away and walked over back to Lizzie.

"What was that all about?" Lizzie asked, having help from Leo to get on his back.

"I apparently just got information from a rebel leader. She said that my sister will die in three days if you and I don't show up..." Leo responded.

"Well then let's go already! Where do they want me to meet them at anyways?" Lizzie asked.

"Lizzie, let's first get you back to the Tringhams and _then _we'll do rescue Ren." Leo said with a sigh as they exited the house, and started walking toward where the Tringham brothers lived. The night sky began to turn into very early morning, the sun slowly rising. As Leo continued walking, he stopped abruptly when Lizzie made him look up. Both of them saw a huge, flying creature pass by them quickly. Did they just see... a dragon?!

"That's something new..." Leo muttered.

"Was that a... a dragon?" Lizzie asked in disbelief.

"Let's not stay to find out, shall we?" Leo said with a kind smile, as he continued to walk. Along the way,Lizzie tapped him on the shoulder to make him look back.

"Now what Elric? See any other flying dra-" All at once she gave him a small kiss on the cheek. "...gon..." Leo finished and had his jaw wide open for a moment.

"The least I can do." she said with a wink. Leo blushed for a moment, but then smirked.

"It's a start at least." he added with a bright smile and then continued to walk down the empty road.

E-N-D--O-F--C-H-A-P-T-E-R--17

Xenotime-----Saga

**To---Be---Continued**

Me: lol before u say anything, no that wasn't Envy. Envy's gone (sadly). ok, so there u have it. i hope u guys don't mind me cuttin their kissing lips scene short with that rude barging in of Mr. Tucker animal. like I said, this is just the start. (Lizzie: hey, the cheek's fine with me. Leo: I totally agree) And we even get to know something more about the rebels. is there more to what the military seems to see? are the rebels hiding some special power nobody knows?

Rebels: oho. what past could we hide from you?

Me: who the heck knows. but when I write it we'll find out. ok everyone, I hope it's all right with you, but we are going to be taking a break of the Xenotime Saga. I decided to show what the rebels might hide, concerning their past. uh, just a quick note everyone.. I know I didn't mention too much about the rebels besides their appearance as to hair and eye color. so when I made Greg say he wore makeup.. it was the only way I could think of that would cover up for the unmentioned scars he has on his face.. so yeah, I hope you guys didn't suddenly get creeped out by Greg asking for makeup...

Greg: yea! I don't wear makeup! and never will!

Me: Right.. oh and also everyone... i will say this here and now. this story will be more than 20 chapters. i mean, i still haven't even gotten to the rush valley or dublith saga and all. -sweatdrop- so i apologize if u didn't think this story would be more than 20 chapters... i really don't have a good estimate of how many chapters are left either. but i can say that "don't worry, the dublith saga is only two chapters possibly as the same for rush valley (hopefully), and then we move on to the good stuff and blah blah blah" also, i don't think so.. but would Sig still be alive? and i think manson would still be alive.. but i'm not sure how old he would be. so, if u guys could help me out with that it'd be greatly appreciated. thanks again for taking time for reading this long thingy. plz leave a review if this chapter is worthy! -Sil


	18. Rebels Past: Part 1

A/N: hey guys! sorry i didn't update yesterday! I so lost track of the time and such, so i apologize! so anyways, here's part 1 of 3 of the rebel saga. It's not that long, 12 pages isn't so bad lol. also, it's all going to be in Strider's POV. so yeah, this will basically explain how the rebels came to be and blah blah blah. now, I think I have everything mathematically correct. It took a while lol, but I think I did it. If you think I'm wrong, just feel free to tell me so I don't mess up anything. thanks everyone, please R&R if u find this chapter worthy.

**Disclaimer:** Don't even think I own Fullmetal Alchemist. I just love the show!

**Chapter 18: Rebels Past; Part 1**

There was a loud roar in the morning as the flying creature that both Lizzie and Leo saw landed, its wings blowing to make the landing swift. It landed right in front of the coalmines. There was a sudden burst of dark aura when the dragon vanished, and all you could see was Strider standing in front of the mines. As he was about to go in, he saw Lina and Skye. They looked pretty tired, after running around and chasing the monster they had seen.

"Any luck you two?" Strider asked. He had tried to spot it with flight, but had no luck himself.

"We wounded it, but lost its trail." Lina said with a sigh.

"Who the heck knows where it is by now. It only comes out at night though." Skye replied. Strider walked over to them and put a hand on their shoulders.

"Well, in any case, as long as it doesn't threaten us we'll be fine." Strider replied casually, and let them both go inside. As the three entered the hideout, they saw Evan and Greg greet them. Greg held up a chicken leg bone while Evan whirled up to them.

"So you guys finally decided to show up! I had to be stuck with tubby for the past hours! Boss man, what in the world were you sendin' Lina and Skye off to do?" Evan asked.

"Chasing down an animal that's twice the size of Greg when he's angry." Lina said with a sigh. Evan turned to Greg with an amazed look. Greg simply smiled.

"Told you." he said with a smirk. Strider simply trudged off.

"I'm gonna hit the hay you losers." he joked with a smirk. "When Peter and Will get back from their little hunt, make sure to tell 'em to hit the sack too. G'night everyone." he added with a wave and walked off. Lina decided to follow Strider though to tell him about her discovery.

"Look, in three days expect Silversteel to pay us a visit. I ran into her little boyfriend, and informed him." she said. "Besides, it's going to happen. I don't know the outcome of when they appear, but I can assure you that victory should be in our clutches." she added, her Strider turned to his best friend, and smiled widely.

"Good. Very good. Thanks for the info Lina." he said with a grin, and entered his own room. Sitting on the bed, it was dark in his room as he stared at the blackened ceiling. Sometimes he felt himself being drawn back to that damned prison cell. It was a second home for him... the place where he was born. Closing his eyes, the memories began to flood, drifting him off to a deep sleep. It was his sleepwalk down memory lane...

_**21 Years Ago: Strider's POV**_

"Grey. That is your name." It was always such a horrible name, so blah. My mother named me that, and I hated it. Even if I was only 1 month old, that name just made me want to puke. I didn't mind though, realizing at such an early age my mother was already losing it. She had spent two years already at the place where prisoners went at Central. It was called, Laboratory 5. She used to talk to me all the time, muttering things and saying strange things here and there. Still, she told me all about her life, and about my father who I never knew.

She explained to me what a cruel life she led. It made time pass by I assume. She told me of her childhood, to her school life, teenage years, and then about my father. She told me he was such a strong man, such a bold and brave man. How he didn't deserve to die by the hands of the state military for stealing a few apples here and there just so we could survive and live. It turned out that my father died at the cost for us to be put in a chamber room like animals locked up in a cage.

By the time I was 10 months old I knew all of my surroundings. People in the cell next to her always complimented how such a smart baby I was. Only one kid, he seemed to be around 11 sneered all the time at me. I could never remember his name, but maybe that was because I didn't care about him, or anyone. Not even my mother. I was the only one I cared about. Selfish probably, but all I knew was that the 11 year old probably hated me getting attention and whatnot. Officially, I was called "Squirt" whenever he was around.

When I was 12 months old, the big man came to us and gave my mother a grim look. She practically praised him, and sometimes she was taken away from our cell to go spend "quality time" with the big man Bosque Gran. That was his name, but I always called him "Boss". I never knew what my mother was doing with a brigadier general such as Boss, but all the time when I woke up the next morning my mother smelled strange...

"Grey, the general told me once that you would be his next... experimenting partner. When you turn 10 you're going to be put in a special room. You'll see, and you'll be with others who are worthy of becoming experimenting partners as well. Won't that be fun?" my mother always told me that. Her eyes were slightly crazed, mouth twitching once in a while. I always just nodded, pretending I heard every word she said. Never smiled, simply frowned or showed no emotion. Besides, a baby living inside a cell? What smile could I possibly show for living such a harsh life?

Rebels-----Life

When I was one year old, I remember my mother holding me very close to her chest, mumbling words to me I either heard, ignored, or completely misunderstood. We were all huddled close with other people from nearby cells. Surrounding us were walls of red liquid, it made my eyes widen in curiousity. It turned out Boss took us and moved us all like sheep in the pen. I can't remember how long we were all huddled close, but I remember hearing whimpers, cries, screams, shouts, and suddenly a new voice. Oh yeah, with us was a man named Kimbley. It seemed someone spoke out to him and suffered the price. His life.

There was a large explosion, and all the walls surrounding us were blown to bits. Luckily my mother protected me, and I only looked up to see him. Golden braided hair, looking around at us like he didn't know we existed. Next to him was a weird, furry creature.

"You didn't tell me there were other people here!" the boy said with an angry voice. The creature answered with only a mere whisper. The next thing I knew I saw Boss walk over to the boy. It was what the boy said and what I saw that made me jump in my diaper.

"Easy. Brigadier General died. I got a front row seat. Scar killed him." the boy said. In front of us now, was not Boss, but someone else with green hair. Everything was happening so quickly. I then saw a woman with a bald fat man dragging a suit of armor along. She said to the boy that we were to become part of a precious stone, and to either do what they said or watch his brother suffer.

"Do it. Or do you want your brother to suffer?" she asked.

"Brother! Don't do it!" another shouted, souding like a mix of a high pitched scream and a low shout. It came from the suit of armor!

"Can I eat him now Lust?! Please?" another whined. I don't remember too much, but maybe that was because I was being corraled into a tight squeeze with all the rest. The boy was pushing us until we all were on the transmutation circle. I remember watching him place the red liquid stacks on all four sides of us. Was this that thing called alchemy? Was this what my mother was telling me about? If so, she lied. I wasn't even 2 years old, let alone being 10!

As I looked around, I saw the woman and bald boy with the suit of armor held captive. Was that the so called "brother" being used like a captive toy? Well, I guess it had to be if it talked. I then turned, seeing the boy even closer. He looked like he had seen better days though.. golden braided hair and dullened golden eyes. It gave me strength to watch. My mother was still crying, whimpering with the rest of the sorry lot. Only I started to smile.

"I'm sorry Al..." the boy said, clapping his hands together as he knelt beside the circle. The screams and shouts and cries grew louder, and my excitement and smile grew bigger. This boy, whoever he was made me feel alive. He made me feel, different. Like by his choices, I was a different me, and I felt strength suddenly give me power to give out a loud shout of my own, but making it turn into a loud giggle of praise. Do it! Do it! Show me what it's like to experience the so called term, "alive"!

"EDWARD! NOO!" Al screamed. So his name was Edward? Well Edward, show me! Show me something that makes me want to live a life worth fighting my butt for! Show me alchemy! As fast as my smile had come, it had been even faster to be wiped off my face.

"I...I can't do it... I just can't.. I'm sorry Al." Ed said, and started to cry. I couldn't believe this. I thought... Well, I guess I was wrong. This alchemist wasn't anything worth celebrating over. The next thing I realized though, something amazing happened, it made my eyes sparkle. There was a loud booming coming from all around us, the liquid breaking from its captivity. Above us was a brown skinn colored man with red eyes and a white scar plastered on his face.

"Edward Elric, take your brother and go!" he shouted.

"I don't need your help!" Ed shouted back.

"But your brother needs you, now go!" the man called, and this time Ed listened. The next thing that happened made me feel the greatest experience of my life. As Ed began to run to his brother, he stepped on the red liquid. All at once, his body glowed, and he shouted in pain as it started to amplify his alchemy. It was truly an amazing sight to see. The woman seemed to be afraid for a moment, and dodged an attack the boy did. He had an automail arm that transmuted into an arrow as it struck, making red liquid pour out from the wall as it was pulled back. He then shot spike pillars from the ground, throwing them at such great force.

Yes! Yes! Alchemy is that powerful?! Alchemy could do this?! This is what it must mean to be alive! I watched in amazement, not taking my eyes off of this splendid scene. I didn't even realize my mother had abandoned me, as did all the other prisoners. When it had all ended, I decided to crawl all the way to where no one could see me, so I could be left alone in this dreaded place. After all, it was my home. I even crawled in my cell and slept there for the rest of the day, the scenes of what alchemy did never leaving my mind...

9-----Years-----Later

"Wake up. #7-18-5-25." a voice angrily called to me. Well, 9 years later, it turned out Boss was right. 9 years ago, the next couple of days I realized that scientists were suddenly stealing this place. I had spent my whole life here, living with these old buzzards. Yet I knew that if I would ever escape, the surface life was no way for me to be living. So far, I was the only one here to be with the scientists. As old as they were, they were busy people, always making me part of their experiments. I didn't mind really, it brought some suprises to me. As long as I was in tact, I was okay with it all.. I was even learning alchemy.

It must have only been by luck that I had another person join my cell. I was chosen to be in cell #666. I didn't think that anybody else would ever be _worthy_ of sharing this hell hole with me. Back then I was a silent boy, passing by with studies the scientists taught me, eating, sleeping, breathing.. the usual. Never social though, not once I would talk to anybody but myself.

"My name is #12-9-14-1. But you can call me Lina." That's what she had said. She seemed nice too. Full of spunk, bubbly, and brighteyed. This girl, Lina, 11 years old... She had violet colored hair that went to her shoulders, and light blue bubbly eyes that sparkled when the light shown on them. It made me want to hurl. Never had I met such a chatterbox in my whole entire life of undergroundhood. Yes, in 9 years Lab 5 was expanded to underground, where the real experiments happened.

". . ." a simple nod got her to stop talking, but only for two milliseconds.

"So who are you? Why're you here? Did you get in trouble too? What did you do to wind up here? Are you at least gonna look at me when I'm talking to you?" Lina said with a huff. By the time she was on to asking her second question I simply shrugged her off and gave her the cold shoulder. Geez, for someone being one year older than me she sure acted two years younger instead. It seemed that after I started to ignore her, she finally shut up. Yes, Lina was my first roommate. And at that age, I prayed she was the last.

R-E-B-E-L-S

Two weeks and I constantly had to deal with chatterbox. Even though we were the only two kids there, we were always competing against eachother. Me, being the cool, calm, collected, and silent type fighting against the loud, obnoxious, hyper, spazz type. I competed against her because I wanted to prove I was better and to also gain power, but she competed against me because she felt that if she didn't do something with me she'd grow bored very easily.

"So Grey,"

"Don't. Call. Me. That." I seethed.

"Then what should I call you? It's your name." Lina responded curiously.

"I don't know." I responded quietly. Today I felt _nice_, talking to her.

"You need a new name. Grey is just too plain." Lina said with a smile and thought. I turned, interested in what she said. Well, at least someone agreed with my name being too bland. "How about... Strider?" she suggested.

"Strider..." I repeated. _'#19-20-18-9-4-3-18. It sounds too long if you ask me.'_ "It's too long. I don't like it." I said. Lina pouted.

"It's only three more letters." she whined.

"NO." I said, and finally turned back to being a cold shoulder person. Lina whined and pouted again, but reluctantly let me be. Still, the name wouldn't leave me alone. It did have a cool ring to it, but the numbers were way too long.. Since when were numbers names?

Rebels-----Past

I don't remember much about what happened that night. Normally I had no clue about what was going on around me, or my surroundings for that matter. But this night, I realized something was missing... No. _Someone_ was missing. It was the first time I had realized I was experiencing absolute quiet. When was that girl taken away? Turning around, I looked around my cell, seeing no one here besides myself and some mice looking for scraps from a small crack in the wall.

"Lina?" I called, starting to feel a strange emotion well up inside. Concern... I suddenly heard noises, one of them was one of the scientists that worked here while the other was a noise I had never heard before. It was a squawking noise, a honking noise, but at the same time a peaceful and calm chirp.

"Come on #12-9-14-1. We're at your cell now cooperate and get in there." the scientist angrily hissed, opening up our cage and letting something fly in. I watched in suprise as the something that flew in clumsily ran into the wall, and wobbled its way to a corner as it lay there, huddled and shaking. I looked from the something, to the scientist.

"You'll be next. Very soon #7-18-5-25." he said, a smile appeared on his face as he locked our cell, and walked away. This feeling... fear, anxiety, shock, all of it was new to me. I turned to the thing huddled in a corner. I couldn't believe my eyes... I realized that experiments were painful, and at some points for me I was in critical condition that surgery and some time off was neccessary. But this, this was new and advanced... and different.

"Lina?" I asked, creeping over to the black shadowy creature. I saw the thing raise its head to my voice, all I could see was ice blue eyes. The creature waddled clumsily over to the only light that we both had. I backed away in amazement now, staring at a black colored swan.

The swan outstretched its magnificent and long wings, the tip feathers were a poisonlike purple color, being sharp and pointy. Her head held up high, she seemed like she was enjoying the burst of light from above. I felt drawn to the swan, and started to walk over to it very quietly, so she would not notice. But it was as if she had sensed me that she flapped her wings and the purple needle-like feathers surrounded me in a swarm.

_"Don't come any closer! Stay away from me Grey!"_ she warned me. I didn't listen, some other emotion overcame me. I don't remember much, because by the time I was about two inches away from her I felt a pain enter my arm and totally was knocked out. The only thing I remember saying was, "My name is Strider."

R-E-B-E-L-S

When I awoke from my long sleep, I found myself seeing the ceiling. I was in one of the underground facilities hospital bed. Looking around, I realized I had a bandage securely wrapped around my arm. It was throbbing no doubt.

"Ah, you're awake." one of the doctors said. Looking at the doctor, I groaned. "You were poisoned by that creature. #12-9-14-1, so to speak." he explained to me. Lina...

"Where is she?" I asked, getting up. "And how long have I been here?" I added.

"You've been here for two days, and your roomy is back in your cell. We'll be doing some more tests and examinations on her soon." he explained to me. More tests? What exactly had they done to her? What would they do in future? Pain, that is what I knew would come.

"What did you do to her?" I asked sternly, an icy cold stare followed.

"Why do you care #7-18-5-25?" he countered. I was silent. Why did I care, anyways? I alwyas looked after myself, and **only** myself.

"Well, whatever you did to her, you're going to do to me. And I want to know what you're planning." I half lied. Had I become soft? Since when did I ever question the people's authorities here? The doctor sighed.

"What we did was take the feathers of a swan, added poisonous needles to the mixed ingredient, transmuted it into a substance, and injected it into her skin. Simple enough, yes?" he said with a smile. I only nodded.

"It sounds painful." I said.

"It is... but only for two seconds. After that, we watch the transformation being. #12-9-14-1 has been given extraudinary powers following her complete transformation. Now with the form of a black swan, her feathers are poisonous needles. Graceful, yet dangerous. We also have given her the power of clairvoyance, and the ability to see through many things." the doctor said in such an accomplished voice.

"Right. Doctor, will there be anyone else joining cell 666? Why did Li-... #12-9-14-1 come here in the first place?" I asked.

"In time there might be more people joing you. #12-9-14-1 is paying up for her father's crime." the doctor explained. I nodded. AFter a while I was sent back to 666. It was there I was beginning to realize what place, my home, really was...

Cell------666

As I looked around my cell once I got inside, I saw Lina huddled in a corner. I almost didn't recognize her. She looked terrible, her hair was all messed up and she bent down low, shivering.

"Lina?" I asked softly.

"Leave me alone." she snapped. It took a moment for me to recover from her angry attitude.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Stop talking to me." she answered.

"What happened to you?"

"Nothing."

"That's not true."

"Yes it is."

"Tell me what's wrong."

"Just leave me alone!" she cried, turning to... another part of the prison wall we lived in. I could see rage and hurt in her eyes, but also pain and torment.

"Lina I... I'm over here." I said in disbelief. This time she turned to me, and I could see in her eyes something different. They were light colored, no more a beautiful sapphire. She was blind, her irises a shiny aqua color.

"I hate it here.. I want to go home." Lina sobbed. I was speechless. The doctor lied. The pain didn't last for two seconds, it lasted a lifetime.

"Lina... what did they do to you?" I asked calmly, walking over to her. Even though I was 10, I was taller than her by a few inches. Almost like on instinct, I placed my hands on her shoulders and brought her head to my chest in a hug. All at once she burst.

"It was all so fast I... I had no time to react to anything! When I was lying there on that stretcher, fear was starting to crawl down my spine and everything began to spin in my mind. When they injected that.. that material into me, I.. At first it felt like I was on fire! Then freezing numbness took over my body, like I couldn't move. After that I felt like I had a tremendous fever, like I was going to die! It was horrible, horrible! Oh Strider... and the transformation... it was all too fast and once I was finished I couldn't see a thing. Now all I see is darkness... and I hate and fear the dark!" she cried.

"It's okay Lina, I'm here. I'll make them fix your eyesight when they experiment on me, I promise." I said. What was I saying? I was changing... Never once had I feelings towards other beings, never had I complained or questioned the scientists, never had I ever had these new feelings at all.

"Thank you Strider... Thank you.." she whispered, smiling. Right then, I wondered if this was called "compassion". All I knew was that I wasn't alone in this world anymore. Right then, I knew my hatred for this place would grow... Slowly, painfully, and smoothly.

E-N-D--O-F--C-H-A-P-T-E-R--18

Me: ok everyone, that was the first chapter of the rebel saga. i hope u all liked it. i only felt it fair to have the rebels get a say in their actions ya know?

Lina: did u really have to make me blind?

Strider: and make my real name Grey? Honestly, kind of stupid if you ask me.

Me: well, that's what i chose and that's how it's gonna be. -nods-

Strider: whatever

Me: until next time everyone! Part 2 out of 3 of the Rebels Saga. R&R if u find the chapter worthy. i will be updating more frequently with this saga so we can get back to the Xenotime one. actually, i'll probably update on... Tuesday! Arigatou ev'ryone! Bye!


	19. Rebels Past: Part 2

A/N: ok everyone. here's part 2 of 3! only 15 pgs, whoot whoot! basically, evan and greg are going to join lina and strider. please R&R if u find this chapter worthy.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own fullmetal alchemist. good show! great characters!!

**Chapter 19: Rebels Past; Part 2**

Days, weeks, months, years went by, and still I had not been experimented on. Lina and I were growing, me being 15 while she being 16. Throughout 5 years, we still learned a little bit, but also were put to the test. A lot of times, I would spar against her. The scientists wanted to see our weaknesses and strengths. Most of the time, if I wasn't fighting, I was either in a beaten up situation, or the hospital bed. The doctors and scientists here began to change, and I could see that the life I had with them when it was just me was about to change; Big Time.

"Lina, how are your grades here? Still holding up?" I asked her quietly. Both of us were still being taught, but mostly it was about alchemy, thank goodness.

"Yeah. I think I'm doing pretty well. I'm not really into alchemy that much so I'm not getting any higher than a B. You?" she asked me.

"I'm still headstrong with an A." I responded proudly. Lina smiled, and that smile always made me start to melt with a warm smile of my own. In the month of June, we had new companions joining us. We waited patiently in our cell, and soon enough we saw two boys younger than us walk in. They stared at us while we stared at them. Finally, when the doctor left the youngest decided to talk.

"My name's #5-22-1-14. But yous guys can call me Evan." the boy introduced himself with a grin. Bad english, but he looked to be around... 9? He had spiked up green hair, and wore a torn white T-shirt and ripped shorts. His buddy who was older than he was standing behind.

"Who's your friend?" Lina asked kindly. Lina had gotten better with her sight. She told me once that she could see a faint outline of myself through the darkness. It was then I thought back to the doctor's words so long ago.

"I... I'm Greg.." he responded softly. Evan stepped aside, showing Greg to be standing there like a 5 year old, wondering what to do next.

"I'm Lina, and this is-"

"Stider." I said abruptly. Greg had jeans and a black t-shirt on. He was a little big too, but looked like he had some muscle.

"How old 'er yous guys?" Evan asked. "I'm 10. Greg's 12." he added.

"16."

"15."

"Cool." Evan responded with a shrug. Walking around the cell a bit, he finally sat down in a corner.

"What exactly are you doing?" I asked, eyebrow raised.

"This ain't too roomy. Who picked this dump to be our room?" Evan asked, ignoring my question. What a brat.

"It was only supposed to have two people in it. I've lived here my whole life." I explained bitterly.

"I'm hungry..." Greg said, tugging on Evan's arm.

"Yous guys got some grub fer Chubz here?" Evan asked.

"Sorry. We get fed here about three times a week. You'll get food tommorow." Lina explained.

"Cool. So whaddaya do 'round here anyways?" Evan asked. This kid, he was another chatterbox.

"We sit, and wait for the scientists to do their dirty work on us." I said with a low tone.

"Come again?" Evan asked.

"They experiment on us. It's a little painful, but once you've been experimented on about 18 times you get used to it." I responded cooly. Evan seemed to have his eyes widen for a moment, but simply shrugged it off and decided to move on to another subject. Man this kid was nosey!

"So what're yous guys here for? I got sentenced here with Greg cuz we were both tryin' to shoplift a whole buncha stores for cash. Believe it or not, when he wants to be, Greg can become a silent genius. I'm the strength, stealth, and speed part I guess." he added with a sheepish grin.

"Great." I said, eyes narrowed. "I've lived here all my life. I chose to stay." I added.

"I came here to pay off my father's crime." Lina explained.

"Someone coming.." Greg said, almost shivering. Evan looked like his eyes were narrowed.

"You and your 6th sense." Evan said, rolling his eyes.

"No. Someone _is_ coming." Lina replied. In about two seconds, the door opened and a doctor came through.

"Evan, your checkup and physics are due." the doctor said.

"Allrighty chief. See yous guys lata." Evan said casually, and walked out of the cell. As soon as he was out of sight, I sighed with such relief. Silence, I absolutely loved it right about now. I almost forgot how annoying Lina was when she gibbered almost 24/7.

"They're not physics or checkups. The doctors are seeing Evan's strong points and weaknesses for when his experimentation is due." Lina said, turning directly towards me, eyes shining. I knew then that Lina had one of her visions.

"Is Evan hurt?" Greg asked, alert when he heard this.

"He'll be fine, as long as we're here for him when he returns, he'll be okay." Lina replied calmly.

"Evan's my best friend. If they hurt him, I'll kill them." Greg said angrily. So, Mr. Silent Guy was speaking. Sure amazed me. Great, and I thought the chattering was over with.

"Someday we will kill them.." Lina responded, her eyes drifting off to a distance. Back then, I didn't know if that was a vision, or just a hopeful plot.

R-E-B-E-L-S

Well, Lina was right. When Evan had returned, he was shooken up and crying. We all watched... well, I watched. Lina and Greg were consoling him as best as they could. To be honest, I did feel sorry for the kid, but also I felt like he should shapen up and get over it. We all had to live like that, there was no room for whiners.

Evan, even crying, babbled to us what the scientists did. At first, it was normal. Push ups, jumping jacks, those kind of things. Then it become running laps and such to an extent that Evan felt his lungs would give out soon. They didn't stop there, and mercilessly had him do drills and such. Finally, drastically the results had changed. Hew as forced to run on one of those electronic devices, and if he screwed up they would electricute him. It made my blood start to boil. Even a chatty, bratty, crybaby like that kid didn't deserve that. Ok, I didn't think of him as a brat.. just a chatterbox.

"How many times Evan?" Greg asked sternly.

"S..S..Seven.." Evan stuttered. Greg, in a blind rage, ran over to our cell bars and gripped them tightly.

"Where are you, you scum?! I'll kill you! I'll rip your dirty lungs out and crush them with my foot! No one messes with my best friend and gets away with it!" Greg roared, bars shaking. I really thought that he was going to break the cell bars that kept us in captivity. Immediately, I grabbed onto his shoulder and gripped it tightly, making him wince and turn to me.

"Enough." I said sharply, sternly, staring at him. Greg just stared back, but never let go of the bars. Lina placed a hand on his other shoulder, making him turn to her.

"Don't worry. In time I promise you, you'll get revenge..." she said. I stared at her now, and wondered. She had a blank expression on her face, and I kept wondering if that was a vision, or just something to say to console the shaken up boy. Turning back to Greg, I saw that he began to cry. Right now, revenge would be nice.

Hagane-----No------RenkinJutsushi!

It wasn't until morning when I awoke, that I noticed Evan seemed to be having a nightmare. He mumbled in his sleep, begging, pleading for a break, or water, something. He must have been having flashbacks of the night before. I couldn't help but feel sorry for Evan as I watched him twist and turn on the cold ground floor, twitching sometimes as pain was definately marked on his face. Rage began to consume me.

When I was alone here, and the only people with me were the scientists, all I did was obey. I was like a robot. I learned, never thought. I gathered informatino, nothing more. Never once had I ever questioned these people. Was that maybe because back then I didn't know what was right and what was wrong? Should I stand up for myself or just continue beng a slave to the scientists?

Sighing, I looked at the ceiling now. Learning... When was the last time I had learned anything? I remember vague information, all of it revolving around alchemy. Alchemy... the power and science that made you feel like you were a god. You could even turn lead into gold! Still, alchemy had its price and rules. Creating gold was obviously illegal, so that wasn't a smart idea if you wanted to go to jail for it. Then, that memory flooded my mind. Edward, the alchemist that opened my eyes to a power so great, that even.. maybe, I could control.

Closing my eyes, I tried remembering now what I had learned here about alchemy so long ago. Nothing... it was all blank. Staring at the ceiling in frustration, the only damned thing that came to my mind was that law. _"To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. Do you understand that, #7-18-5-25?"_ That's what they told me, but a pained and confused expression was placed on my face. What the hell did that mean? Edward didn't give anything up with his alchemy, and when I saw him his alchemy was **POWERFUL** to the unimaginable limit. I sighed again, and decided it was enough to be _thinking_.

Turning to my side, I saw Lina stare out the only "light" to the outside world we had. All we ever saw in this prison cell was darknened walls, a caged barred door, and a window that was half broken with glass shattered on the outside. All we ever saw through that window was bare ground and dirt. Occassionally, we did happen to see worms and bugs, but that wasn't the point. Only I had a strong feeling that Lina saw more than just dirt and bugs. She saw beyond the mere mortal eyes.

"Did you have a nice sleep, Strider?" Lina asked me, but did not turn from her position. She startled me, I had to admit. But by then I didn't realize I smiled.

"It was okay." I said casually, and then yawned. Why was it, why was it that I felt so comfortable when I talked to Lina? Sure, she was the first human being to ever make contact with me since we were little kids. Still, something about her now made me feel... like I was a different person alltogether. She made me feel like I could walk on air..

Now I had... feelings of friendship, and companionship, and... love? Was that even possible? I don't think I ever knew that emotion... love. Did my mother love me? Or was she just using me for someone to talk to? Besides, she was an emotional wreck by the time I came into this world, so did she really love me? Have that strong, mother-son emotion for me? It didn't matter now.. she ditched me anyways.. Lina...

"Hungry..." I heard a soft moan. Looking over my shoulder, I saw Greg with the most funniest look ever. It was so funny, it actually made me laugh. Me, laughing... that was new to me. A new sound coming from my mouth. I liked it.

"You're _always hungry_ Greg." I said. WHen I said this, the poor kid pouted. I felt a little sorry for him, but then was suprised when he perked up instantly, seeing that Evan was finally up. He practically bear-hugged the kid to death.

"What'd I miss?" Evan asked, still dazed and sleepy. Greg's bear-hug was his wakeup call.

"Looks like we're all up." I responded quickly with a casual look on my face. I started to drift off into my thought bubble again. Thinking was apparently something I was quite good at.

Evan and Greg sure had a brotherly bond. They had already stated they were best friends, and Greg sure had proven that with his double outburst yesterday. Not even realizing my actions, I turned to Lina and stared at her. I smiled as I stared at her, she was beautiful. And those eyes... they always seemed to make me suddenly have butterflies in my stomach. Was it because of her power? Or because they were beautiful, even if they weren't the precious sapphire color they used to be?

Then, another thought occured to me. Did I have a brother-sister bond with Lina? Was I her best friend? Was I even considered to be called that? "Friend"... it made me think of all the times I ignored her, wanted her to leave this place, wanted her to leave forever, wanted to show her who was superior around here... With that in my mind, how could I possibly be considered a "friend"?

"Is something wrong Strider?" Lina asked me. I instantly shot a glance at her, and then merely turned away with a scoff.

"N-nothin. Nothin' at all." I replied monotonously. I bet anything back then, I blushed when I said that. When I looked at her after a few seconds, I found she had a simple, warm, loving smile. It made me break out into a wide grin just seeing it planted on her face.

This feeling... of comradeship. The feeling of being cared, of being noticed, of having that warm feeling swell in my heart... It made me happy. Then I knew that in my life, these people who shared my home with me... I would always be protecting them, be there for them, and if anyone hurt them... I'd kill the person or people responsible. From now on, they were my family. And to me, family meant the most against all odds, against the world... against any other person in this entire world. Family was what mattered.

R-E-B-E-L-S

A few hours later, we were all summoned down to the training room. There, the scientists were waiting for us. They seemed pretty aggrivated, but looked like they had a new scheme for us. A new torture that would tear us apart.

"Today, we'll try something new. #7-18-5-7. You shall fight against #12-9-14-1." the scientist said.

"...Huh?" Greg asked, confused.

"You'll be fighting against me, #7-18-5-7." Lina quickly responded, nodding to the boy. Greg simply nodded.

"Guess that means you'll be fightin' me." Evan said, a grin on his face. It took me a moment, but soon I found myself smiling back. As soon as we were all placed in our rooms, the scientists with their examination papers and files signaled us to begin.

I had never thought that van, as small as he was, could be such a worthy opponent. He was quick on his feet, and dodged almost every blow I threw at him. Such an annoyance and pain in the butt to go chasing such a small kid around the arena. What, was he trying to make me look bad or something? At least I knew he wasn't very good with the offensive technique. He simply went with evasiveness and such. I could only wodner about Greg and Lina in the room next to us.

"You're very fast." I complimented, deciding to talk to him instead of having my thoughts on how Lina and Greg were doing. Now I went on the offensive, seeing how his offensive was against me. Pretty weak, to be perfectly honest. There was no doubt in my mind that we were being put to the test again to have the people inside see our weaknesses and strong points. That was the only way they would know what to use to mold us into the perfect experimented creations they could do. Just like they did to Lina.

"Thanks. But I lack in power..." Evn clearly admitted as he swung another punch at my arm. It felt like I had just punched my fist into a wall for a moment, and I was flung back as I hit the ground. Was I just being careless? Did I predict too much weakness from the boy? No.. I just wasn't paying attention. As Evan came toward me, I gave him a swinging kick below to make him trip off his feet. When he went down I quickly grabbed his arm and threw him on the ground. He landed with a probably painful thud, but suprised me when he just laughed.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"You got me!" he joked in response. Helping him up, I smiled with a small chuckle.

"With practice, you could do that to me someday." I complimented. Right then, the two of us shook hands, and at that moment I felt that we had become brothers. It was al interrupted when we heard two screams. One of them was Greg, and the other started drastically changing to a high-pitched squawk.

Quickly, both Evan and I didn't hesitate to rush into the room next door. As we entered, we saw Greg cowering in fear in a corner, and a hunched figure emitting a black aura.

"Greg! I'll save you!" Evan called, ready to rush in. I held him back quickly though, and grimaced. The number one "rule" here was to never use our names. Unfortunately, I don't think Evan and Greg understood that "rule" or were told about it. There would be serious concequences for Evan. "What're you doing?! He needs me!" Evan cried in disbelief.

_"GET BACK!"_ I heard Lina say in a rasping tone. I immediately turned to her, and watched as her transformation was halfway complete. Her wings began to unfold to raven colored feathers with purple needlelike ones, filled with poison. Her legs became more skinny, feet becoming sharp webbed claws. Her neck stretching, beautiful face turning into a beak with those aqua colored eyes.

"EVAN!!" Greg screamed, crying his eyeballs out. I grimaced again angrily. Greg would have serious concequences as well today.

"Let me go!" Evan angrily yelled. I didn't listen, just watched Lina's transformation. My eyes grew cold, grip tightening, heart beating faster. I had never seen Lina transform. She told me she had gotten used to it three years ago, but now I could tell that that was a lie. Why did the scientists do that to her?

Then, it hit me. What about Evan? Or Greg? Even... even me? Was it so painful? Would we be able to handle it like she so bravely did? Questions raced through my mind, but were interrupted when Lina screeched. Before us, we saw a black swan, purple spiked hair going down her long, elegant neck. Long legs gracefully standing perfectly still. Her wings outfolded, the tips glowing eadly purple as her whole entire being emitted a black aura. She raised her head high, and let out a howling screech. Then, she turned to me, those aqua eyes staring as they were much more narrow now.

_"Get #7-1-8-5-7 and #5-22-1-14 out of here. NOW."_ Lina commanded me. I nodded, and dragged Evan out of the room. Looking in, I saw Lina practically chase poor Greg out. After that, the scientists gathered around her, and the window curtains were surrounding what I saw left. They were already punishing her. And all I could do was nothing...

Cell------666

"Greg! Greg, buddy, are you all right? Speak to me!" Evan asked. Greg was shaking still, but was able to answer in one simple word.

"H-horror..." he choked. Evan turned to me now, an angry look on his face. Blaming me for what had happened, probably.

"What the _hell_ was that thing!? Why didn't you let me help Greg! And where's Lina?!" Evan questioned all at once.

"That _thing_ was Lina. If I had let you help Greg, then bad things would have happened to you. We couldn't allow that to happen. Right now, Lina is paying up probably for both of you." I answered, gritting my teeth. Evan, shocked, dropped to the ground.

"Wh.. Why? ...How? Who?.." he baffled.

"Because. Experimented on. The scientists." I answered again, and then grabbed him by the cuff of his shirt, and stared at his eyes menacingly. "Never. Ever. Use your name, or his name, or our names in front of the scientists. Why the hell do you think we go by numbers for our identity?!" I spat in his face. He only gave me a look.

"I don't know.. Care to enlighten me?" he asked fiercely, mustering up some courage to me. Sighing, I placed him down, but didn't let go of him quite easily yet.

"If we use our names and acknowledge eachother by Strider, Lina, Greg, Evan. It gives us a feeling of being someone. The scientists here gave us our code numbers because it shows we have no identity of our own. We have no freedom. We have no mind, we are not supposed to feel anything. We are supposed to learn, to gather information, to listen to them, to never question their authority. If we use our names in front of them, it shows we have individuality. We aren't supposed to ahve taht. Do you understand?" I said sharply.

"I guess.." Evan said with a huff.

"Right now, I'm sure that Lina is getting hurt because of what you've done. She's taking your blows so that you're safe. Using our names in front of the scientists results in some kind of physical torture. Beatings no doubt. Both you and Greg didn't follow the "rule", so now she's paying for it. I hope you're happy." I said angrily. This time, Evan was silent, and consoled Greg. As for me, the questions raced through my mind again.

Why Why were these scientists doing this to us? What was their reason? When it was just me, I only learned about alchemy. Sure, they did experiments on me, but nothing like that. Everything changed after Lina came into the picture. What happened to make things change? ...Right, the day she was their first true experiment. But why did they try doing that sort of experiment in the first place? Answers... answers! I needed answers. I knew now more than ever I'd find out what made everything change. This was no longer a learning center and minor lab tests and such. This would be our living hell hole.

Fullmetal-----Alchemist

Lina came back to our cell around evening. She looked horrible, and I knew this time the scientists showed no sympathy. Didn't even bother taking her to the hospital chambers. She had a black eye, bloody lip, broken leg, bruises everywhere... It broke my heart to tiny, shattered pieces.

"Lina.. what happened?" I asked sternly.

"I got beaten up. Pretty much explains things." she answered simply, dragging herself over to the only light we had. All she did was stare, and all I could do was watch, and nothing more... Now a new feeling came to me. Loneliness, agony, remorse, sadness, guilt, weakness... Never had I once thought that someday I would show signs of such weakness. Ever...

Throughout three days, both Greg and Evan ignored her. Practically never acknowledged her existance. They only saw her as the "monster" they saw that day. She told me it was okay, in time they'd see the truth. Only I felt like I knew she really did care, and was crying alone on the inside. Throughout those three days, I had felt nothing **but **guilt and weakness. It pained me to see her that way, and I wanted to stop being weak and start being strong.

I had to make the boys see, I had to make them understand that they had to see Lina for who she really was. A kindhearted person, a selfless person, a cheerful person, someone who was seen as the best friend a guy like me could ever ask for or deserve. Sometimes, I felt that I didn't even deserve her companionship. I knew though, that she didn't deserve this treatment she was getting from them anyways, and this time I would do something to make it stop.

"Apologize." I stated one day. The two stared at me like I had 7 heads.

"For what?" Evan asked.

"Apologize now." I answered, pointing to Lina.

"Why?" Evan asked, aggrivated.

"Strider, don't." Lina said calmly.

"You don't deserve to be treated this way by them! They don't know, if you could just let them see then-"

"Just stop. Evan, Greg... I'm sorry. For.. for what you had to see, it must have been horrible. Evan, I would have never hurt Greg, even when I was that hideous thing... The scientists forced me, and I refused. Against my will they made me." Lina explained. Evan was silent for a moment, and then scratched the back of his head guiltily.

"No Lina... I think uh... we owe you an apology. I, uh... have a short temper. I shoulda asked what had happened then assuming... so for that, I'm sorry." Evan apologized sincerely with a bow.

"Me too." Greg said as he raised his hand high up in the air, that guilty pouting look planted on his face. Lina smiled, and thanked both of them. I smiled, relief taking over. After the apologies were made, something new was being done. We all decided it was about time to talk about our pasts, and possibly our future goals in life. Evan would be first, Greg next, Lina after, and me last.

"Well, I don't remember much about my folks. My mom was a good person, I loved her a lot. My dad though, by the time I was three he was on the run. When I was six, my mom died of some weird disease... and my dad was nowhere to be found. That's when I met Greg who was roamin' around the streets just like me. We've been pals eva since." Evan said, grinning. He wrapped his arm around Greg's shoulder playfully, winking with a smile.

"Future goals?" Lina asked.

"Ummmm... I wanan be a policeman. But that's only cuz I wanna find my dad, and jail 'im. He's probably still a criminal on the loose or somethin'." Evan said with a shrug. Greg, small for words still, gradually spoke of his own past.

"Well, I only had a mom. My dad was never spoken of in my household, but I heard he was a good man back in the day and stuff. I met Evan when I was eight. My mom and I were shopping and I found him when I got seperated from her... I never found my mom after that. God only knows what happened to her... So Evan and I were on our own together. We formed a team an' stuff, and lived on our own as brothers. We stole stuff, but it was only cuz we needed money to live. Of course, we finally caught and that leads up to us meeting you guys. Right now, my dreams are to be a detective." Greg said with a smile.

"Why?" I asked curiously.

"Well, I promised Evan once that when I found my mom, we'd adopt him and then we'd really be brothers." Greg said sheepishly. "But the only way I can find my mom is to be a detective, or a searching agent. Ya know?" Greg said with a grin.

"That's a good goal." Lina said with a smile. Then, all eyes were turned to her. She laughed for a moment, and we all just smiled at her.

"It's your turn Lina." Evan said with a grin, and Lina nodded.

"Let's see... before this place I lived with my mother. My father and she were divorced when I was two. Unfortunately, my mother was a victim of my father's sexual crimes whenever he would visit us. Sometimes, I would almost become a victim like my mother... Ultimately, my mother was killed by refusing to be a part of his pleasure games anymore. She was stabbed to death... but luckily I was able to call the police and they arrested him. So I was to take his place of doing time down here. My father is actually in the military, but when I get out of here I'm going to permanently take him down." Lina said. We were all silent, and I could feel my mouth run dry. When everyone looked at me then, I said nothing.

"C'mon boss man, we all told our stories. It's your turn now." Evan teased. Boss man? Hm, kinda sounded catchy.

"W-well," I started, voice quickly returning. "I guess there's not much to say. Before I met all of you, I was born here. My mother was a criminal here, but she was still pregnant with me at that time. I've lived her my entire life, and this is my home. Although, I remember once that I saw a powerful alchemist one day. Edward was his name. To be honest, I was to actually be a sacrifice for his plan of making a stone." I said, actually laughing. "A front row seat I had, witnessing his amazing alchemy... And that, is my dream. I will become a powerful alchemist someday. And follow in that alchemists footsteps." I said proudly.

"Hey! You're talking about Edward Elric!" Evan said.

"Elric?" I repeated.

"Yeah! He's made history! They say he was the youngest alchemist to ever pass in becoming a state military Major back in the day! The age of 11 is when he passed. I think that's still the record today!" Greg added.

"Elric... hm. Well, when we get outta here I'm gonna become a State Alchemist!" I said with a grin. The others agreed right after, saying that they would be with me all the way. Loyalty, that's what I felt right then. At that time, I began to grow more and more in bonding with my new family. To be honest, I thought we would be a family of four. Little did I realize that our small family would become a family of seven.

E-N-D--O-F--C-H-A-P-T-E-R--19

Me: so now, u all like?

Greg: it's pretty good so far..

Evan: yea i'm likin' it.

Lina: it's ashame i'm blind still T.T

Strider: seriously, did u really have to make my name Grey?

Me: would u let it go already Strider!? hey, it starts with G. and it kinda sounds like Greed. so anyways all, i hope you liked this chapter. please R&R if u feel this chapter worthy. i'll be updating this friday. byebye! -Silver


	20. Rebels Past: Part 3

A/N: okay. 1) i apologize because this is the longest chapter i have ever done in my life... 25 pages.. but packed with detailed stuff and important key things to know for later chapters. 2) i hope u all have continued to like this story so far, and i hope that this chapter (seeing as it is LONG) won't bring it down T.T . 3) please feel free to skim, just make sure u got some key items read in the chapter. 4) please R&R if u think this chapter worthy of one. -Silver

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist, but the show roxs x100!

**Chapter 20: Rebels Past; Part 3**

Months went by, and my family bond with everyone grew so quickly. My hatred for my home grew as well, but I didn't let that stop me from my dreams. I still learned alchemy, whenever I got the chance. Whether it was by sneaking books into our cell, practicing transmutation circles, creating things that weren't meant to be created,... anything. As long as I had that science that made you feel like you could do almost anything, I was content.

About two months ago, it was Greg and Evan's turn to become a part of the experiment. Evan was a cheetah with a thunderbolt spot on his forehead, and flames on the end of his legs and on his back. Speed was his superior trait, and his claws were sharp like razors. Unfortunately, when he became himself, the thunderbolt shaped spot turned to a scar. That must have been some sort of price when he succeeded.

Greg was turned into a were-bear. He was twice the size of a regular grizzly bear, and we were all being crushed when he waited to change back to himself. A few things were changed with him. For one, his ears and tail were of a wolf's, and his paws were more like the weight of an elephant if he really tried. Stomping on the ground could result in an earthquake for all we knew. Raw power, size, endurance, pain tolerance; those were his strong points. As well as his anger and such. When he came back, he had three scars across his left cheek and one across his nose.

Yes, maybe I was wrong about this place. No. I'm sure of it. This was no longer home, but now it was simply called Lab 5 to me. It was nothing more than just a simple underground laboratory that used innocent people for their illegal practices and such. I still couldn't believe it, and refused to believe that this was legal, and fair. I even wondered if anyone knew about this place anymore. Answers, answers, answers! I needed them.

Why us? What was going to be our purpose once we were all transformed into deadly beasts with unnatural powers? Lina with her clairvoyance and sight more than a mere man's, Greg with his power to sense others prescence from afar and his strength doubled when he was angered, and Evan with his power with his agility 10 times most men and ability to create fire if he wanted to. Who else would join us for this torture, this, this change with unimaginable results?

A lot had happened in the months that rolled on by. Sometimes, the scientists would force a 3-way. They would have Lina, Evan, and Greg fight against eachother in their beast forms. Luckily for me, I was given the chance to continue studying alchemy. Unfortunately, I found myself more and more staying close to the hospital department of the lab. The training they were given was torturous, and they were told to show no mercy. On the battlefield, they were different.

When I always just sat there in the hospital rooms, waiting for them to wake up, I always found myself questioning everything. It was either that or hypothesizing, or planning for an escape. Througout my life, if I counted, a total of 106 shocks sent through my body was approximate. I wasn't sure about everyone else, but I bet anything that for a total, we would come up with at least 700. One fact always ran through my mind, and that was revenge. And I was going to have it.

Still, my revenge wasn't just for me. It was also for them, my family. They were what mattered more to me than anything else. Greg, Evan, and Lina, all of them my precious family. Lina... my feelings for her throughout the years started to grow into more than just a feeling of friendship. I loved her, and I wished that she loved me. But I knew that that couldn't be true. Lina was my secret love, and I would keep it that way until she maye opened up her feelings to me, and gave back the feelings I had for her that continued to grow and blossom.

2------Years-----Later

2 years rolled on by, both silently and slowly. The anger became more and more made known through my actions. I lashed out a lot more at the scientists, and as a result I was beaten and shocked to a bloody pulp. Toward my family though, I became more protective, understanding, and I, over teh course of time, became leader. Well, by Evan I became leader. I even remember asking him why he ever called me "Boss man". He told me that he looked up to me more than I could ever imagine... and that I seemed to be like a true leader. And he also said that he felt like he was relying on me to get us to freedom, and to somehow get the revenge that we felt were needed.

As the two years were continuing, my alchemy became more powerful and advanced, and I kept learning more and more. Greg, Evan, and Lina continued their training, and somehow I was given "special training" so that I would keep up with everyone else. I was even able to use my alchemy in the fighting arena, to show the scientists what I had been able to summon and conjure, to create and to use as more than just an object; but a weapon.

We didn't realize until in the month of April that two new people would be joining us in our cell. They were actually thrown in undetected, and quickly ran back to the cell bars in complete outrage. We had a man and a woman join us in our little family prison. It was possibly by fate that I had recognized the man, even in his total outburst.

"I demand you release us!" the man shouted. I examined him... well, his outfit really. He wore ripped jeans, and simply wore a sleeveless leather jacket. He didn't wear a shirt, so his bare chest was seen. I could see an X-shaped scar on his chest and right shoulder, while there were some scars on both of his arms. Slashes, and they seemed to be just created. He even started to grow a beard. He had dark brown hair, and golden eyes

"Who're these old guys?" Evan whispered to Greg who started to chuckle silently. Abruptly, the man looked up and turned to Evan in complete rage. His golden eyes were piercing like cat eye slits, while his dark brown hair began to stick up on all ends in spiky waves.

"Who are you calling old you Shrimp?!" he roared. Shrimp... that sounded familiar to me.

"Relax, old man. Evan joked. That just seemed to get the man even angrier. The woman who was next to him had shoulder length dirty blonde hair and chocolate colored eyes. She had two slash scars on her neck, and seemed to be trying to calm the man down.

"Insolence! Disrespect! Boy, you immature, shrimpy, little, brat!" the man roared angrily, and suddenly his hair bristled and started turning into fur! His hands became claw paws, and his face was changing to the form of a tigers. His hair became like a lion's mane, but you could still see the outline of his X-shaped scarss. His tail though was of a dragons. Was he supposed to be considered a chimera creature?

"Bring it on! You don't scare me!" Evan answered with a snarl of his own as he transformed.

"Come on you two, don't make a scene!" Lina said in complete protest. We watched as the two big cats circled eachother.

"Gettim' Evan!" Greg cheered with a laugh.

_"You don't know who you're messing with boy. I'm already pissed off as it is."_ the tiger growled.

_"Whatever, old geezer. Don't strain yourself, cuz maybe then you'll keel over from the sterss you're putting on yourself."_ Evan teased with a sneer. The tiger lunged with a snarl, but side-stepped away when a wolf intervened. She was a brown timberwolf, hair as an extra furhide. Her tail was actually a spiked up one with a flaming, spiked, ball at the end. Her tail resembled that of an Ankylosaurous... just more powerful.

_"That's enough. Peter, cool off. Boy, show some decent respect at least. We were just thrown here for no reason and painfully experimented on. The next thing we knew after it was over with we were just thrown in here like a bunch of animals. Not even humans."_ the wolf said calmly, but had her teeth bared. Evan snarled once, but turned into himself, walking over to us with his back turned to our new "guests".

"Who are you?" I mustered up some courage to ask, standing in front of my pack.

"My name is Skye. I suppose all of you have been experimented on, yes?" she answered. There was a short silence.

"Only I have not been experimented on." I spoke calmly. It didn't feel right to me. 2 outsiders coming into our pack... it made me feel uneasy. Even though they were victims like us, I had no information on them, let alone I didn't even know them. Except... Peter was his name? Yes.. he sounded familiar to me. Could it be? Turning to the tiger-man, he seemed really aggrivated.

"Peter, is it?" I asked.

"Yeah? What is it?" he asked angrily. Seemed he had a temper of a tigers, that's for sure.

"Have you been here before?" I asked him. That face continued to seem more and more familiar now that I stared hard at his features. Getting rid of the beard, his prescence was very easy to say I met him before.

"Yeah. Hated it too. Came here when I was just 11." he said with a huff. Suddenly, the image of his face 15 years ago popped into my head. Even now he was sneering at me, and that sneer was one that I could never forget.

"Do you remember a small child?" I asked him hopefully. For a moment, he stared long and hard at me. And of course, I stared long and hard at him until he finally broke down into laughter.

"Why I don't believe it. Squirt!" he said with a smile, face already brightening. I rolled my eyes.

"It's Strider." I corrected him. Still laughing, he gave me a knuckle sandwich.

"Good to see you again! What're you doin' here though?" he asked.

"I never left. This place has been my "home" for 17 years." I said. He looked at me, shocked.

"You never left? Why the hell stay?!" he questioned in disbelief.

"My mother abandoned me Peter. I was only one back then. I also wanted to study alchemy." I answered.

"Wow Squirt. You're a lil' trooper now aren'tcha? What made you really stay here besides alchemy?" Peter asked me.

"Alchemy. Edawrd Elric made me respect him. He's my idol." I said calmly. Alchemy was the main reason for my staying.

"Ah, you're talkin' bout the Fullmetal alchemist. I hearda him. Unlike any of the others in the military. He did his own thing really. He's old history though. It's said that he hasn't been seen for two years now." Peter said. I ignored that last part, I didn't even want to think about that. Edward, my idol, I'd never get to meet him.

"So he was like a rebel?" I asked.

"You could say that, I guess." Peter said with a shrug. I think he might have answered differently if he knew that there was more to my question.

"Edward the rebel alchemist. Edward Elric... when we get outta here, I'm gonna become the next greatest alchemist. I'll serve the military, like Ed did." I said proudly. Both Peter and Skye smiled at my dream. "So what about you Peter? Skye? Why did you guys get here? Who brought you here?" I asked them.

"Well, apparently they were having a contest. It was about strength really. Both Skye and I are professional fighters at a dojo downtown of Central. We decided entering, and we were put to the test. When we won, we were brought down here. Damn those scumbags, they tricked us and tied us down. The next thing I knew, I was screaming my lungs out as I turend into a.. well, you've seen me." Peter said bitterly.

"It was painful all right, but we both managed to get through it. Unfortunately, we were left with terrible scars. The doctors and scientists gave us a moment of rest before roughly shoving us into this prison cell. We didn't do anything wrong, but the people here said they needed us for their plan to work." Skye added.

"Plan? Did they tell you why they're doing this to us?" I asked abruptly. Both adults shook their heads "no". I slammed a fist to the ground floor angrily, muttering to myself.

"I feel bad for the little boy who was in the room next to us. I wonder if he's been here for quite a while." Skye added to herself.

"Boy? Who?" I asked.

"Don't know. We saw him in the other room. He was with a scientist who seemed to have a bond with the boy. I wonder if he has already been experimented on." Skye replied. So there was another one of us... but we had not seen or heard of this boy ever. Had he been here for long? When did he get here? Was he right under our noses?

"Strider, when do you plan on escaping out of this here dump?" Peter asked, cutting me off from my thoughts. I looked up at him and stared.

"I don't know. Probably when I'm experimented on. That way we'll be too powerful for them to even control. They probably think we'll be willing enough to do whatever they say to us because we have obeyed them ever since. Well, that's all going to change once I'm through with them." I replied.

"Good. Because it's almost time for me and Skye to um, get married." Peter admitted with a laugh. We all stared at them.

"Skye is your... fiancé?" Lina asked, and Peter nodded sheepishly.

"Someone's coming!" Greg piped up, and the happy moment stopped abruptly. It was his enhanced hearing all right. About two minutes later, a doctor walked by and opened up our cell. Peter, growling, was held by the arm by Skye. Obviously he still hadn't cooled down from the doctors and what they did.

"7-15-5-25. It's time for your examination." he said, blank face showing. I nodded silently, and followed him out.

R-E-B-E-L-S

As we walked side by side, it was like a walk down memory lane. The doctor spoke to me so formally, and like I was his own son if he ever had one that is. He even used my previous name, no more numbers or anything. It was completely strange and new to me.

"Grey, you have been the best of the best. Why, I remember when we first found you, curled up in the cell. You were a smart boy, being at the age of 1. You were able to handle anything we told you to do, you learned so quickly too back then. I'm sure your alchemy is top notch, yes?" he said to me with a smile.

"I think so, sir. Thank you, sir." I said.

"Grey, now, before we start the examination on you-"

"You can just say experiment. I know that's what I'll be put up against doctor." I said calmly. He nodded with a short sigh.

"Yes well... erhem. Before you are experimented on, I think it would be a great time to ask if you have anything on your mind. Any questions you'd like answered?" he said. Yes! So much! But where to start?

"Why them? Why did you have to choose them to be a part of your experiment? You've caused them so much pain... why?" I asked. The doctor stopped, taking his glasses off.

"Grey... the people chosen, you know yourself that this was used as a prison. The others like you are serving time." he explained.

"Me? Serving time? I was born here!" I stated in a loud shout.

"Yes yes yes, which makes you different from the rest! I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. You're perfect, you're the best! And that is why we saved the best for last!" he said with joy in his voice. I could still sense a quaver of excitement as his lower lip was still shaking.

"Okay... well, why did you change them? Turn them into... into chimeras or monsters? Animals with deadly powers? What was the purpose of that? Couldn't you have just turned us into stronger people without creating such hurt for us? We're humans too you know." I asked in a sort of scolding tone to get across the point that WE WERE HUMANS.

"Grey, all along we have been working for the military secretly in the east. They need new and improved... "weapons". So to speak. So we agreed to give them what they wanted, in return for-" I stopped abruptly, not wanting to hear anymore. The military... the military that I said I would work for, knew what these creeps were doing to us?! The torture, the hurt, the tears, scars, everything... The images of my family flashed before my eyes.

"So you're saying that we... we're just pawns!? We're not even considered humans!? The military knows what you're doing to us and they don't care? Since when were we mere "things"! We're human beings damnit! We're like you! How can you do that to us?! How can you use us like fresh meat to eat the flesh and spit it right back out! It's not right damnit! All this time?! All this time we were just to be used for the military!? To be their new creations, their new weapons?! To go out into that battlefield, kill countless of innocent lives for the State and possibly get ourselves killed?!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. My anger had come back, and revenge was a very good idea.

"Now now Gery! Even you knew about this!"

"No, NO! I didn't! You--... you poisoned my mind! Corrupted it!" I screamed.

"Grey please! You are humans, we know that! We knew the risks of mixing your dna with other things, other animals, other dna! We knew the risks and yet we did it anyways! And look what happened, we succeeded! You will soon learn that in alchemy Grey! That is what we scientists, we doctors have obtained! We took that risk, and we succeeded. And look what the result is." the doctor said with a smile on his face... a very, corrupt and crazed smile. I felt myself clenching my fist tightly, and letting it go, and clenching it again, and so on...

"The result was... strong, unnatural human beings... and also pain and suffering. Is that what you wanted to obtain? To forget about our needs? Our feelings? Everything? Just so you could fulfill your selfish desires? Tell me the truth. Money was involved, wasn't it?" I said, trying to calm myself down. Right then, I had a sudden urge to either murder this guy or strangle him with my own two hands.

"The result was creating immortal, supernatural, strong creations of beings! You were that result. Your other companions have lived through the experiment! You will also survive, and become immortal beings! Like gods you shall be! That is our goal! With the military having people like you on their side, they can bring order!" the doctor said.

"Doctor, you never answered my question. Money was involved, wasn't it?" I said again. He sighed with a nod.

"Everyone works for money. It's what we need to fund our research. Money makes the world go round." the doctor said. I angrily clenched my fist.

"What do you mean, _immortal_?" I asked him.

"You'll see." was all he responded with. "Everything will be explained. If you cooperate with us this one time, you'll see." he said to me with a weak smile. I tried releasing my muscles as best as I could. If my family could withstand what they went through, I would be strong for them as well. As we continued to walk down the hallway, I suddenly remembered what Skye had told me. A boy, who was here as well.

"Please, answer one more question. There's another boy here. Why didn't you tell us about him? Or let him stay with us? Has he already been experimented on?" I asked.

"The boy here is actually the son of one of the scientists working here. His name is William, and he was experimented on the day he was born. Naturally, everything worked out as planned, and he has been training privately by his own father. He will join you soon enough. Once you're done with we will take you all to the east." the doctor explained. I was silent after that, and then watched as we came to the room.

Rebels------Past

As we entered the room, I was placed on a stretcher and strapped down; tight. I could feel my heart rate pick up a bit. Was this how everyone was put through it? They were placed here, had no ability to move whatsoever? Then what happened next? Questions raced through my mind again.

"Now then Grey. We will begin the process. Your new form should be to your liking." the doctor said to me, holding up a green, shimmering scale.

"What is it?" I asked. Already my pulse was quickly picking up, and my head throbbing. Was all the blood rushing to my head? Was I hanging upside down or something? The light above me was pretty bright, like it was blinding me.

"It's a rare dragon scale. Deep in the depths of a lost civilization, a collegue of mine found it while exploring the underground city." the doctor answered. So there was another underground place? It was ashame the doctor didn't tell me where this place was. So I would become a dragon... I watched as the doctor crushed the scale so easily that it turned into a sparkling green dust, mixing it with some strange red liquid. Wait... red liquid... I bolted right up as best as I could.

"That's-"

"Yes. Remnants of red stone elixir liquid. In using this substance, we were able to allow your body to drastically change. It also makes the user invincible, but we like to say immortal. For the red liquid will flow through your veins, giving you a life supply of life. You could live for a hundred.. no, two hundred years and more if you tried! After all, it's said the liquid is part of the great Philosopher's Stone." the doctor explained to me. "Are you finally beginning to understand what I meant by "immortal", Grey?" he added.

"Yes... a little. So will that mean that my alchemy will be enhanced, and I'll be able to use it in my new form?" I asked.

"Yes. In your new form your alchemy will definately be more powerful. Ten fold! You'll have the combined strength of 10 men in your human form, and 100 bears in your new form." the doctor explained to me. As he had the needle in his hand, I watched the scientists go into the back room. I could see them, looking in through the window.

"Tell me... is this all you did to the others?" I asked. A rush of excitement, just like I had long ago awoke.

"Yes. But I must warn you, you must be strong. As I said to the others, accept the power that will course through you, and you will survive." he said to me. Survive? The sudden rush of excitement turned to anxiety as I watched, the doctor steadying his needle near my arm. I felt my heart rate increase, feeling my heart thumping out of my chest. I watched as he placed it in my arm, and soon hit a vein. That was when the liquid began to rush through my body like wildfire.

I felt it. The power, it was so strong! I felt my arms weighing down, bulging and becoming more and moer muscle. The doctor stood quite a distance from me now. As the power continued flowing through me, I suddenly felt uneasy, and a headache hit me straight on.

The pain, it was beginning to spread throughout my whole entire being. Gravity was pulling down on me, making it harder and harder to breathe. Panic began to stir, and then I remembered that I could either survive or... die. No. No, no, no! Dying... it couldn't be an option! It just couldn't! Then, I remembered Lina's words from when she was first experimented on. '_It was all so fast I... I had no time to react to anything! When I was lying there on that stretcher, fear was starting to crawl down my spine and everything began to spin in my mind. When they injected that.. that material into me, I.. At first it felt like I was on fire! Then freezing numbness took over my body, like I couldn't move. After that I felt like I had a tremendous fever, like I was going to die! It was horrible, horrible! Oh Strider... and the transformation... it was all too fast...'_

NO! NO NO NO!!!! My heart rate continued increasing once I suddenly felt my body change. I was suddenly boiling, sweat flying everywhere. Was I convulsing? I don't know.. I can't remember! No! I started yelling, shouting. The pain! It was worse than ever. From becoming boiling hot, I suddenly became cold, but more like I was put in a freezer for years!

"NOOO!" I screamed. I felt dizzy, and fear quickly consumed me. I wasn't going to make it. I was going to die... I was going to die! My mind raced, my head started to hurt more than ever. I felt like my brain was going to explode, my headache increased ten fold! My right arm... it burned! It felt like it was on fire, like it was being torn off.

"Auuugghh!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. "My arm! My arm! Somebody help me! Someone! Anyone! God it's on fire!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. I could feel it. My arm hideously changing. I was refusing, and that was my downfall. My arm was becoming more and more bigger quickly, the veins showing as they moved. My arm completely convulsed, shaking visciously and wildly. I screamed in pain, it felt like any second my arm would-

**"AUUGGHHHH!!!!!!"**

Hagane-----No-----RenkinJutsushi!

Blood... I remember blood... I remember searing pain everywhere. Was that pain what everyone felt? I felt weak now. Everyone could withstand the pain... all but me. Even that boy, Will. He was a baby, and yet he could withstand **that** pain. It made me sick. I was disgusted, with myself. How could I let myself get so weak? How could I reject the power that was given to me?

Why... Wh ywas it that everytime I as alone... my mind raced. Was that how Evan got his thunder scar? How Peter gained his many scars? How Skye with her neck scars? Greg with his facial scars? Lina with her eyesight?... Lina! I quickly opened my eyes to see myself staring at the ceiling. My breathing was labored a bit, and I realized I was sweating.

Eyesight... I promised Lina I'd get her eyes fixed. And I failed... I failed! I failed her... how could I face her now? How could she love me like I truly loved her? How could I.. How could I let this happen? Why. Why!

"Boss man! Thank God you're awake!" I heard a familiar voice cry. Turning, I saw the whole gang staring at me with worried eyes.

"What happened?" I asked hoarsely.

"You uh... failed your examination. Ya lost your arm, Boss." Evan said quietly. My arm... that's right. I failed the experiment... I failed Lina and her eyesight... I failed, failure.. Was that what I defined? Well, there were always second chances, weren't there?

"My arm.." I whispered, and glanced over. I saw nothing but bandages wrapped around my chest. A sudden flashback came to my mind. My arm blown up to bits, blood spilling and splurting everywhere, even on me. I closed my eyes painfully.

"Strider." another familiar, soft, voice called, bringing me back to reality. There I saw Lina, eyes shimmering with a beautiful glow.

"Lina..." I responded, melting a little, glad to see that she was by my side. She walked up closer to me, and bent down over me and gave me a kiss on the cheek. I looked at her with wide, surprised eyes. I saw hers filled with tears of relief.

"I'm so glad you're all right." she said. Lina... I motioned her foward, and made her bend back down to me.

"Lina.." I whispered her name with a smile. Using my only hand left, I cupped her cheek and brought her down closer to me. Soon I found my lips locked with hers. My eyes were closed, and I kept that kiss close to my heart, not wanting to let her go. But soon I found myself apart from her lips, and my eyes opened as I stared at her.

"Strider I-"

"I love you." I said abruptly. She was silent, staring at me with a blush. Almost everyone around us backed away. Peter and Skye had smiles on their faces, Peter putting an arm around Skye's shoulder. Greg and Evan sneered with laughter, but I could tell they were at least happy for me.

"Strider.. I love you too." she finally said, and we locked in a kiss once more. I don't know how long we kissed, but it was interrupted when we heard a foot tapping.

"ErHEM!" a doctor said, arms folded across his chest. We both abruptly turned to him, Lina turning away from everyone. I was pretty sure that she was blushing. After all, we did pretty much kiss in front of the whole group and the doctor. As I stared at the doctor, he stared at me. "Grey, we have automail for you. If you want us to do an operation, you'll have to come with us." he said to me.

"Automail huh? Ok. I can't go around with just one arm anyways." I said with a nod and followed the man out. It was true. I couldn't accomplish anything with one arm, and maybe I could transmute my automail like Edward did. Besides, they were giving their lives to me too easily if they were to give me automail. I remember lying on the stretcher again, and the operation proceeded.

I realized that this pain, this pain I could tolerate. As they attatched my nerves to the newly equipped arm, it took me a few seconds to be able to move it all. It was huge, I had to admit. Kind of big, but powerful to say the least. My automail was equipped with a canon, that could blow up anything in my way. Then, a thought hit me. _'These fools are going to lose their lives quicker than I thought. How delightful.'_

Hagane-----No-----RenkinJutsushi!

"Well guys. Today is the day." I said once I was back in my cell. I don't know how long I had been out for, but it must have been a couple of days at least.

"For what Boss?" Evan asked.

"To get outta here. Once and for all. Once they're done experimenting on me again-"

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa, WHOA. Boss man, you're not seriously thinking of doing _that_ again, are you?" Evan asked. I nodded. "YOU'RE CRAZY! DO YOU WANNA LOSE ANOTHER BODY PART?!" Evan practically shouted at me.

"Look, last time I wasn't prepared. This time I'll do it. I'll succeed, you'll see! So anyways, once I've transformed, I'll get rid of all the people down here, release you guys, we'll go to the surface, and take down the military." I said.

"Why are we taking down the military Squirt?" Peter asked.

"Because they're the reason why we've suffered pain for this long." I said with a snarl.

"The military? But I thought you wanted to become a State Alchemist." Greg said.

"That was before I knew the truth. If the military knew this was going on, and they didn't stop it... I want revenge. We were to be used as their.. their weapons, and just thrown out into war. Well, we'll give them a war to talk about. But we'll need a backup plan. Like, how the war is going to start. What, do we just attack Central HQ or something? I'm not sure how we're gonna do this.. but we'll give them a war that no one is ever going to forget. The military will know that they shoulda never messed with us." I said with a grin.

"That sounds great and all Strider, but do you think it's going to be wise to kill everyone down here? I mean, someone above is bound to hear all the commotion." Lina said.

"Don't worry. The boy who was here with Skye and Peter, he came here 7 years ago, but no one knew about him. I have a feeling that his father, one of the scientists here will side with us. So don't worry Lina. And I'm going to get your eyesight back." I said confidently. Suddenly, we were all quiet when we heard a loud bang.

"Grey! Are you ready to try again?" a voice asked.

"I'll only do it if you repair Lina's eyesight!" I said. There was a short pause.

"All right. Bring her with you then." the voice continued, and both Lina and I exited our cell and walked down to where the experiment would take place.

L-A-B--R-O-O-M

Both of us entered the small room, and Lina was placed seperately away from me. I was finally going to have her sight back, and I was finally going to see those beautiful sapphire eyes once again. As I watched them, carefully, calmly, I saw as they began to work on her eyes. When she opened them, they immediately proceeded to the operation...

It took a while, but after a few long 20 minutes, I saw Lina's eyes bandaged. I wondered if she was supposed to take the bandages off once the doctors said it was time.

"So? How did it go? Were you able to heal them?" I asked.

"Luckily, her eyes weren't on the verge of being blind forever. It was a side-affect, due to the red liquid's power. She will see in about two weeks. Now then Grey, it's time for you to try once again with the experiment. Are you ready?" he asked me. I nodded confidently, but first walked over to Lina. I took her by the hand, and brought her face to my shoulder.

"Lina.. I'll make it this time. I just can't wait to see your smiling face, and your beautiful eyes once again." I whispered to her, and then smiled brightly. As they led her away, I went into the experiment room, and sat myself down.

"Now Grey, we were able to receive most of the substances used... but we're not sure how it's all going to react with your automail." the doctor told me.

"Just get it over with. I'm ready whenever you are. Let's do this!" I said confidently, eyes burning. I kept in my mind that I was doing this for my family, I was doing this for them.. I was going to succeed because I was going to lead them to freedom, and also lead them to revenge.

"All right. Then we'll proceed with the plan." the doctor said to me, and injected the substance once more into my body. The pain had returned, and I found myself fighting against the gravity pulling me down. My arms felt heavier, my eyes felt like they were going to be pulled out of their sockets, my whole body shook under the pressure. But through it all I saw Lina staring at me through those bandages, nodding to me and smiling. She knew I was going to be all right, and I knew I would succeed.

"NNNRAAAAAAAAAAGHH!!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, and I watched before my very eyes as I started to transform. At first, it all felt so... so strange. My arms were breaking the straps that held me down, and my hands turned into claws with sharp, piercng nails. My body became more bigger, stronger, powerful... I broke the table completely, and turned onto my legs as they grew longer and wider. My automail became a huge claw-like cannon. My neck stretched about 11 feet, and my face turned into a snout with narrowed eyes. Teeth, long and viscious formed, and scales ran down my body just like that.

"My God! He's huge!" I heard a scientist roar. I still couldn't believe I wasn't on surface level yet, considering I was about 28 feet tall. I was a slim dragon though, but with plenty of muscle. Next thing I know, I lifted my tail... _my_ tail to my face, and saw how it easily lit up in a flame strip. I grinned a dragons smile, and then looked down at my claws. On my palms were transmutation circles. These scientists were just waiting for their deaths, weren't they? When I bent my long neck down, I stared at all of the scientists who seemed to be celebrating. Only Lina and the scientist in the other room knew what was going to happen next.

"We've done it! We've finally done it! Grey, you are the perfect weapon for the military! WE'VE DONE IT!!" the scientist roared in excitement.

"Think of the praise we'll be receiving!" a doctor cried. This made my anger rise, and I snarled with a hiss. My jaw opened, showing the many pointy teeth just waiting for blood to be shed. I edged closer to the glass that was the only thing seperating me from the scientists, and my tail was blocking the door; their only escape. As soon as they realized I was up to no good, they stared at either me or my tail that was blocking the door.

"G-Grey.. what are you.. what are you planning on doing?" the scientist asked in horror.

_"Something... I should have done... A LONG. TIME. AGO."_ I said, my voice was now a low, deep, husky sound. I raised my automail leg, and readied my cannon.

"G-Grey! NO! Do you realize what you're doing?!" the doctor screamed for mercy. I saw about three of them trying to open the door. A futile, and foolish move on their part. Once I had my tail away from the door, the moment they opened it: SLAM!! With no mercy at all, my tail had crushed them all as I saw blood start to form underneath. I could feel the bones cracking, the flesh being torn, insides splurting... It felt wonderful.

All my suppressed anger, it was finally being released. I let my tail slither into the tiny room, and took about two more scientists, burning them as their skin peeled from their bodies, and their eyes rolling back into the heads. Soon all that was left was a skeleton. Now all that was left were a doctor and two scientists. I decided now that I could try my alchemy.

_"You were foolish enough to grant me the absolute power to utterly kill you. Did you really think that I wouldn't do this? After all you put me through? After all you did to us? After all the pain and misery, you really didn't think I wouldn't have my revenge on you?!" _I roared, raising my paw, slamming it onto the ground. My alchemy was being used, and I watched as spiked pillars came crashing from beneath and above as they pierced the people in there. When I looked, all I saw was blood on the glass window, and nothing more. Smiling, I laughed with a roar.

"Strider!" I heard Lina call to me. I turned to her direction, and saw she was with a scientist and a boy. That boy must have been William, who I heard about from the wretched doctor. The scientist stepped forth, a look on his face showed me that he was serious.

"I realize how angry you are with us. I want to help you accomplish your goal. It was not my idea to turn my son into what he is now, and I regret the day I never tried to stop this. Please, forgive me, and let my service to you show that you have my absolute service. I will do anything for you." he said to me, and bowed. For some reason, I felt this human was different, and I spared him. After all, he was William's father.

_"Very well. You and your son will join our family. Lina, quickly, go get the others and tell them to meet us in here."_ I said, and Lina nodded as she ran to where our cell was. As I watched her leave, I stared at the boy who looked up at me. His eyes were filled with determination.

"Why do we have to join him daddy?" the boy asked.

"Son, you'll be with them now. You'll be with your own kind... I want you to be happy. I don't want you to live a life filled with pain and suffering. I'll do anything I can for you." the father replied as he stared at me. "My name is Ryan. Strider was it? Strider, I give all of my service to you. Please, take care of my son and I will do everything in my power to bring the military down." he said to me. I nodded silently, and then gathered up strength.

_"Good. Ryan, today we will start what will finish the military for all! We cannot allow them to continue this slaughter! We will not allow them to take in prisoners and turn them into creatures like us! It ends HERE!"_ I roared visciously, snarling loudly as two wings had suddenly sprouted from my back, some blood dripping down my body. The wings expanded, black like the night sky. They were about 14 feet long and 6 feet going down. I smiled. When my family came to see me, they were surprised to find me being so tall.

"Boss man! What the hell happened to _you_?!" Evan joked. I lowered my neck down to all of them.

_"Get on. All of you."_ I said, and they obeyed. All seven of them were able to fit on my neck. _"You will all need to hold on when we fly out of here. Everyone, this is Ryan and his son William."_ I introduced them.

"That's Will." the boy said coldly. Guess he didn't trust me, or anyone else besides his dad.

"Now now Will, don't be rude." Ryan said. Will only huffed, but showed he cared at least.

_"All right. Everyone, we're getting out of here."_ I said, and shielded them all with my wings. I lifted my cannon arm, and fired a huge one. There was a loud explosion, and a huge hole was made in the wall. Smiling, I was ready to soar. As my wings outspread, I lifted myself from the ground, and took off at a blinding speed. We rose above the whole city of Central, and I could see the looks on those stupid, human faces. Bewhilderment, suprise, amazement... I wondered if the whole city of Central knew about the things that went on in that hell hole. Stopping in midair, we all looked down at the blown up place.

"Let's finish it off." I heard Lina say. Nodding my head, I let out a loud roar as my cannon was fired once again, and the lab we knew was totally destroyed. In satisfaction, I flew off with them on my back as we soared through the clouds. Freedom, what we had wanted for so long was finally in our grasp!

"Boss man, where are we going?!" I heard Evan shout over the roar of my flapping wings.

_"To the east! We're going to pay the military there a visit. See how they like it when they're greatest weapon becomes their worst nightmare!"_ I roared evilly, and for some reason, everyone laughed in triumph at my plan. Once we got rid of the military in the east, I would be sure to take over every military out there, however long it took. They didn't know our pain, they never felt it. They weren't the ones trapped in the dark abyss of hell. Well, now was the time for them to realize that what they did to us would never be forgiven. I would be like Edward, the rebel who did his own thing.

Still, it made me think. Was I sinking down to the military and scientists levels? I would be killing.. but it was only the military after all. The military that had put us through torture all the way, without even lifting a finger. If they were here to protect the weak, and help the citizens, then why didn't they help us? Were we that worthless to them? Was that why we were turned into creatures with unbelievable powers? Just for them? Well... now it was the other way around. We would show the military what rebels like us would do.

Still... we needed more than just eight rebels, we needed an army! We needed an army of rebel alchemists who would rise with us to the top to get rid of the military! The military was able to keep order, for its citizens. If the people only knew of what the military was truly up to, they would side with us! That what I would do. I would create a war that would find its victory in the military lives I would take! I would grasp that power, and turn it into a nightmare for them, for the very humans that destroyed us and molded us into the perfect weapon.

"Strider, if we're going to do this, we're going to need more than just the seven of us!" Skye called. I stopped in my place, beating my wings as I turned to her.

_"You read my mind, Skye. After the east attack, we'll head to the north, and the south, and the west! After that.. it's all down to Central, the most populated military base they have. When we're going to attack Central, we'll have the greatest army of alchemists ever! But we'll have to stretch the truth. We'll need alchemists who want fame, glory, money, power. All of that damn crap that every human is filled with. Once we have the most strongest alchemists on our side, we won't ever lose!" _I roared in triumph, showing all of my pearly white as they glistened.

"I did hear that there are two very strong alchemists, known as the Tringham brothers. They were accomplices of Edward Elric. Maybe they would like to help us in our cause." Peter said. I looked at him.

_"Where do they live?" _I asked.

"Xenotime. Maybe we could make a base there for us as well. I had heard that their coalmines had become empty, the perfect place for us to stay." Peter said.

_"Good. We'll stop there after we have more and more allies with us. But I can only imagine that that's going to happen at least two years from now. When we get to the east, we'll round up some alchemists and then attack the military. They won't know what hit them."_ I said, smiling another evil smile. Was I going mad? Was I actually going to take more and more lives until my bloodthirst revenge was complete? Would it stop after Central? I realized that going up against the military would cost lives... and maybe the people would rebel against _us_. I realized then that whatever I was going to do, there was no turning back now.

"Boss man, we're behind you all the way!" Evan cried. I turned to him, and nodded my head, my eyes never leaving his. Evan gave me loyalty, he gave me strength. As did the others, they gave me the strength to go on through this life. So I would bring them down with me... No matter what I would do, they wouldn't be against it, even if it meant taking lives away. So I cursed under my breath, and I thought to myself, _'God, whatever I do now I don't regret. When I die, let me die peacefully in the flames of Hell as the Devil himself takes me under his blood soaked wing. As for the others... let them return to Your arms, and toward the light of Heaven.'_

E-N-D--O-F--C-H-A-P-T-E-R--20

Rebels-----Saga-----Complete

Me: whew! that was a long one to read! aren'tcha glad it's over now?

Strider: damn, that was long.

Lina: I can see again! -walks into a tree- nevermind...

Me: yea... ok everyone! please review if u found this chapter worthy of it... also, the next chapter will just be flashbacks... lol that's what i decided on... arigatou everyone! i will update on tuesday! -Silver


	21. The Past Should Be Put Behind Us

A/N: ok... here's chapter 21. it's 21 pgs too lol. so i hope that's all right with u guys and stuff. anyways, stuff in _italics_ are gonna be flashbacks unless put otherwise and all... it'll start out with a rebel flashback and so on u'll see... so um, yes. without further adieu, here's chapter 21. please leave a review if this chapter is worthy of it.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. However... the Dvds that i have bought I own :)

**Chapter 21: The Past Should be Put Behind Us**

_As we all arrived in the east, I landed with a mighty thud and quickly turned back to myself. As I looked at everyone, and then at myself, I realized that my automail arm had suddenly become bigger than my real arm... This must have been the cost, I guessed._

_"Now that we're all here, we must gather up our rebellion! Let's go in pairs. Will and Ryan, you go to the west, Skye and Peter you go to the east, Greg and Evan go to the north, and Lina and I will head to the south. Make a story up to get them to join. We need new recruits if we want to succeed. Even add the cruel experimental life we had to live by proof." I said and we all agreed, going in our seperate directions._

_S-O-U-T-H_

_As Lina and I walked down the road together, hand in hand, I looked around to see if any nearby alchemists were close. I didn't know how we would find them. Should I speak out? Should I convince the people by telling them the truth the military had been hiding all along?_

_"Lina... do you think I'm doing the right thing?" I asked as we both sat down on a nearby bench. There seemed to be a small park in the east._

_"Why do you ask?" Lina asked._

_"Well... it's just... when we'll be doing this, lives will be taken. I mean, we all know that we won't die, but others will... Do you think... it's wise what I'm doing? I mean, the military shouldn't get away with this." I said. It was like I was battling against myself. I was both with and against what I was going to do, which made things become so complicated._

_"Strider, we're all with you. If you think this is a bad idea, we'll stop. But if you think that this is the right thing to do right now, then go right ahead. We're all behind you one hundred percent." Lina told me with a smile. Closing my eyes, I frowned slightly. I knew this was wrong... but I also knew that revenge coarsed through my veins, and its hunger was much more stronger than my knowing right from wrong. I wondered what would happen when this started. I would be the cause of the greatest war that could ever be made into history._

_But... at the same time, I would be sacrificing lives just for my bloodthirst. My mind raced, and I wondered what the famous Edward Elric would do. Imagination took the best of me, and I pictured that he would praise me for my job and congratulate me on my win. A smile crossed my lips. Like I had said before, there was no turning back once I stood up for what I thought was right. And if anyone dare try to stop me, I would kill them, and bring them to my knees. This was it... it was time to start a war that would make history._

_"People of the East!" I roared in a loud shout. That seemed to get their attention, as standbyers near us turned while other people stopped to listen. "My fellow alchemists among me! I ask for your assistance in a war that will make history! Are you tired of going by the law? By the State?!" I spat. "Are you tired from watching them do the impossible, while you're stuck doing only what's legal? Don't you think that sometimes the state has gone even against their own laws? Turning coal into gold?!" I lied. It was working, and I could see more and more alchemists gather around us._

_"What're you gettin' at boy?" a man asked. He looked like a rogue to me to be perfectfully honest._

_"I'm saying, why don't we rebel against the military?! Who needs them anyways!? Sure, they bring order, but we can do that on our own! We're not little kids anymore! We know the difference! We're powerful alchemists, and I think that the military are just gathering alchemists so no one stands in their way! Why don't we show them a piece of our minds!?" I shouted._

_"YEAH!" a crowd of alchemists shouted with me._

_"I say it's time we rise against them, and show them that alchemists can be the greatest order they ever had! I say we destroy them, and give them what they deserve!" I shouted. There was a sudden murmur. A woman a little bit away from us was against me._

_"What they deserve? The military has been great to us! Why destroy them?!" she shouted._

_"They did this to me!" I roared, showing them my automail. "They did that to her!" I shouted, pointing to Lina. "They stole her eyesight away!" I said in a hissing tone. Suddenly, I saw her transform, and she simply nodded to me with a squawk as she raised her wings. "And turned her into that." I said painfully. Everyone was shocked, another but rather louder murmur shot through the alchemists like wildfire._

_"Oh my God.." I heard the woman say._

_"It didn't stop there! People of the East, it continued. The military had us all experimented on at such a young age, even on an infant! If the military is there for its people, then why did they allow this to happen to us!? Why did they allow this pain, this... this torture on us as they all were hiding the truth from those up on the surface?" I asked. "You want to know why? The military hid this from all of you, because they were going to use us, human beings like you! They were going to use us as weapons, just so they could achieve power! __**POWER**__!" I roared angrily._

_"Power?" I heard many people whisper._

_"It's up to you, fellow alchemists, wether you're with us or against us!" I said, my automail arm raised high. There was a moment of silence, until an uproar occurred._

_"YEAH!!" they all shouted, and I smiled in satisfaction. Did you hear that military? You were going down._

Present-----Morning

"Strider. Hey, Strider." a voice called. Waking up quickly, Strider saw Lina staring at him.

"Lina? What's going on." he asked, looking around like he was clueless.

"You've been sleeping forever. It's the mid afternoon. The Elric child will be coming soon." Lina said. Strider nodded as he scratched the back of his neck, nad then stared at her. "What is it?" Lina asked with a smile on her face.

"Nothin... Just recalling the past." Strider answered with a sheepish grin.

"You're not going soft on me, are you?" Lina asked. Strider blushed a little, and gave another grin.

"No." he answered with a laugh as he walked over to her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and gave her a kiss.

"Oh... I see. Like our first kiss?" Lina asked and Strider nodded with a low growl. She laughed, and put a finger to his lips. "Now now bad boy. You gotta get ready for the Elric girl. Are you going to try and compromise again?" Lina asked. Strider sighed, staring into Lina's crystal clear sapphire eyes. He was so glad she had regained her sight... it made his heart leap with joy. He was always caught staring at them in such fascination.

"Strider? Did you hear me?" Lina said with a laugh, and Strider nodded, coming out of his transe.

"Y-yeah. If she's the daughter of Ed, I need her to understand our cause. If we had her on our side there wouldn't be anything pulling us down. Maybe if we traded her for the Mustang kid, that could work. After all, she is coming here to retrieve the kid, right?" Strider asked. Lina nodded.

"Yes. That could work." Lina said with a smile. As Strider nodded, he finally stretched with a yawn.

"Well all right then. Let's do this." he said and both of them walked out. As Strider and Lina walked side by side, Strider continued to remember the battle they had with the very first military army. They had taken down the East with little effort, and in the end the rebels became a known quantity of criminals. It was also where the rebels had gotten their weapons. It turns out that the East HQ was awaiting their arrival, and had weapons for each of them ready. All except Strider, for the fact that he had his automail. Once defeating the East and being turned in as wanted criminals, it made Strider and the other Rebel Leaders laugh in triumph. Who could have guessed that he, being 19 with a bunch of alchemists behind him, defeated the east?

Still, it didn't end there. The rebels had taken down the south, north, and west just as planned... but they never thought that Central would be the hardest to ever bring down. It was still going, never waning. What, were they indestructable like the rebels? Oh well, at least that Tringham man was taken care of. Only last week had Strider and Evan paid a visit to the man, and when things didn't go as smoothly as Strider had wanted to, force was taken into action. Terrible yes, but efficient. He got what he wanted, at least. Who knew that he would come visit Xenotime 3 years after defeating the East?

Still... Strider thought about the Elric girl. Lizzie was it? Was she really like Ed? She had the looks, even Strider admitted to that. But did she have the personality of Ed? Would she see the light once he filled her in? Strider had always pictured Edward understanding his goals, never once disaggreeing with his mission. Now he thought about the attack he had done on her and the Mustang kid. That was a hellova buildingslide. He was amazed she was still actually alive! Only Strider could wonder what ever happened to the Elric and Mustang boy. For both of them to survive, she must have had extreme alchemy skills.

Underground-----Mansion

"Lizzie... Lizzie wake up." a voice called. Lizzie painfully opened her eyes, and saw that her sister was standing over her.

"Is it finally over?" Lizzie asked groggily. She and Leo had finally arrived at the Tringham's underground place around late morning. Immediately she was taken to Fletcher, who had healed her. It took time though, considering how banged up she was.

"It was over 30 minutes ago. You slept through all of it, and continued to sleep." Lys said with a laugh. Getting up, Lizzie looked around and examined herself. Everything worked, she moved her arms and legs, and realized she could see out of two eyes again.

"Where's Leo?" Lizzie asked.

"He's with Colonel. They're in the other room." Lys explained, and then hugged Lizzie tightly. "I'm so glad you're all right. You scared me so much, I hope you know that you owe me something." she said with a joking wink. Lizzie smiled, and gave her sister a hug back.

"Thanks Lys. I'll keep that in mind. Come on." Lizzie said, and the two siblings began to make their way to the next room. Along the way, Lizzie stopped.

"Where's Sarah, Lys?" she asked.

"With the other kids. Out of harms way. Tom is with them too, don't worry." Lys answered with a smile. Lizzie nodded, and then she opened the door to where Leo and Mustang were.

"Finally, you're awake." they heard the Colonel say with a smirk, and Leo walked over to the siblings with a smile on his face.

"Glad to see you're ok." Leo said with a smile and Lizzie nodded.

"You know I would never let myself not be ok." she said. Wow, that sure was lame. Even she said that to herself in a mutter. As Colonel Mustang walked over to them, he looked at Lizzie and Leo.

"I have orders for you, Silversteel. And you, Officer Leo." he said sternly. The two saluted, and he continued. "I want you to retrieve my daughter, and if you can, capture #7-18-5-25. Also known as Grey, but now goes by Strider." Mustang said. Lizzie looked at Mustang with her mouth wide open.

"Come again?" she repeated.

"I want you to retrieve my daughter, and also try to bring Strider back to the military. That way he'll be put under arrest and also the war will end." Mustang said rather calmly. There was a short silence before Lizzie would reply. There was something Colonel Mustang was hiding. How did he know that Strider had a real name... that was Grey? And how did he know he was the rebel leader?

"All right sir. Come on Leo." Lizzie finally said, and the two teens rushed out.

"What do I do sir?" Lys asked.

"Ah, Psywave. I need you to come with me, to have a word with Russell." Mustang said as he got up.

"About what sir?" Lys asked.

"About his participation." Mustang said calmly, and the two walked out of the room to go and find Russell.

Russells-----Room

Russell sat in his seat up against his desk, hunched over with his hands cupped on his knees. He sighed, and the only thing stopping this silence was the ticking of the clock he had hanging on the wall. Looking up at the clock wearily, underneath was a picture of his family. He saw himself, his wife, and his son. Sighing again, Russell stared back down onto the floor. _'What should I do?... I'm so helpless, I can't believe this. That Elric is right. What am I doing? Just sitting around, hearing day after day, night after night the cries of my people. Alexandra.. what should I do?'_ Russell thought to himself.

Russell stared at his hands, and gripped them tightly. His hands... were weak. They weren't able to protect those who needed his help. They weren't even able to save the very lives he knew were most precious to him. The last time he had performed alchemy was last week... and even then he was helpless and weak. Even if he tried to help the people, he would still end up failing.

_As Russell was playing with his son on the floor, helping the boy build a small little town made of blocks, the doorbell rang. His sons name was John._

_"I'll get it." he heard his wife, Alexandra say. As she opened the door, Russell listened when he heard a voice ask for him. "Of course, right this way." he heard Alexandra say. As Russell stood, he handed over his child to Alexandra._

_"Can I help you?" Russell asked politely._

_"Yes. My name is Strider. I'm sure you've heard of me." the boy said. Russell's eyes went wide for a moment._

_"Indeed I have." he seethed._

_"This is my good friend, Evan. Now Mr. Tringham, we heard that you and Edward Elric had once known eachother. If you would, would you be so kind as to give us your coalmines for a place for me and the others to stay in? Also, would you join us in our mission? We need all the strong alchemists we can get after all. And what of your brother, Fletcher? I'm sure if both of you joined us then we would become unstoppable." Strider explained. Russell didn't like the look that the boy had been giving him. It was crazed, and somewhat horrific to look at for a moment._

_"I'm sorry to inform you, but I am no longer doing any alchemy. And I cannot allow people like you to stay here. I could easily turn you into the State." Russell said, his hand was grabbing the phone tightly. At that point, John began to cry._

_"I'm so sorry to hear that, but we can't let you do that." Strider said, his eyes turning cold and into slits._

_"Either join us or die." Evan threatened._

_"Now now Evan, let's not be too hasty. Mr. Tringham, we are giving you an opportunity that comes once in a lifetime! Please, reconsider. You would be helping a great cause in-"_

_"A great cause? Right. I should help you, by killing innocent lives and destroying the State. I don't think so. Get out of my house before you get thrown out." Russell interrupted, his voice cold and strict. Strider stared daggers at Russell, and then turned to Alexandra and John._

_"Would you mind if I made your child be quiet? His screaming voice is getting a bit annoying." Strider said, his head cocking to one side as he lifted his automail hand. It was outstretched, and an etched circle glowed as a spike was made, heading straight towards the child's head._

_"NO!" Russell roared, quickly creating a transmutation circle as a shield was made. Strider, by this point, looked disgusted._

_"So you can still use alchemy. You lied to me Mr. Tringham." Strider said, and pointed his arm to Russell. Russell, in three seconds created a circle and activated it, uprooting the floorboards and sending them flying to Strider. In one second, they all fell to the floor in pieces._

_"But how-" _

_"I wouldn't be talking if I were you." Evan said, a knife already pressing into Russell's neck._

_"Russell, Russel. Russell. If you won't cooperate with us, at least let us have this town. Let us make it a part of our base. We already have one in Lior,... well.. almost had one so to speak... so let us at least make one here. If we expand our forces here then it will be a great help." Strider said, locking the door and then edging closer to Russell's wife and child._

_"I would never hand over this town to people like you! I demand that you get away from my wife and child!" Russell struggled._

_"Mr. Tringham, you are in no condition to be demanding __**anything**__ from me. And for you to demand something from me, well that's just showing me disrespect." Strider said, walking over to Russell and punching him deep in the gut. Russell groaned as he started to slump, coughing out some saliva. "Now, Mr. Tringham. Either hand over your town, or we're going to take it by force." Strider said, and then grunted once when he felt something hit his head with a loud CLANK._

_"NO! Alexandra, get out of here! Run away!" Russell roared in despair. Being brave, Alexandra had placed John in his crib a little bit away from them and hit Strider over the head with a frying pan. It didn't do much damage, and now she was facing Strider face to face, a worried look planted._

_"Not very bright, are you, woman?" Strider said coldly, monotonously as he suddenly raised his clawed automail hand toward her. Grabbing her by the waist, he pulled her tight, and then faced Russell with a smile on his face. "As you know Mr. Tringham, there are three steps to transmutation. Since you yourself have done alchemy, you should know those three steps." Strider started._

_"No.." _

_"The first step; analysis." Strider said, and looked at Alexandra from head to foot._

_"No.. please don't!" Russell struggled again. Evan was holding him too tight, and if he moved even more than he was now, his throat would be slit._

_"The third step, reconstruction." Strider added, using his human hand to create a small little figurine made of wood. "But as you know," Strider said, getting up as he brought her with him. She moaned as blood started to drip onto the floor. "The middle step is destruction." he hissed, stomping on what he had created._

_"DON'T DO IT!" Russell cried._

_"And that's where I'm going." Strider said, and in one squeeze of his automail claw, there was a sudden fizzing noise, a scream, and a sound that meant that new blood had been shed. Evan let Russell go by now as he scrambled over to his now, dead wife. She had been blown from the inside in half. From her stomach up, she started convulsing as Russell held her close. Now John began to scream like mad, writhing in his crib as he rolled and rolled._

_"That kid." Evan seethed._

_"Yes. That child is such a neuisance." Strider said, and started walking over to the boy. Russell, catching himself as he cradled his wife, used his alchemy once again to spike Strider through the chest._

_"You will not hurt my son!" Russell said in triumph, but was shocked to see Strider laugh his head off._

_"You know... back in the laboratory, the stupid scientists didn't realize how strong they had made me!" Strider said, clawing himself through the spike. Turning to Russell, Russell watched in amazement as Strider's wound was no longer there. "They didn't realize how much they made me like a god!" he laughed, and in moments Russell screamed as his child let out a blood curtling cry until a splurting noise was made._

_Russell slumped to the ground, his vision becoming blurry due to the tears he was crying._

_"No... HOW COULD YOU?!" Russell roared angrily. Strider only seemed to laugh._

_"Are you going to hand over this town or not?" Strider asked. Russell didn't answer, he was too overwhelmed with the sudden grief that had just happened to his own family. Suddenly, the three of them heard banging coming from the door. Russell looked up, and wide eyed, he found his brother and niece stand there like wide open prey with shocked looks on their faces. Fletcher had broken down the door._

_"GET OUT OF HERE FLETCHER! BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!" Russell had enough time to shout. Too late... Evan was already shedding the blood, and soon there was another scream coming from-_

_"Victoria!" Fletcher cried, watching before his eyes as his daughters body fell like a ragdoll, her arm and legs swerving to corners as blood began to cover the wooden floor. Her other arm was nearly blown to bits by bullets that Strider had fired from a gun he had hidden in his pocket. Fletcher bent down over her, cradled her in his arms as he stared at the other corpses in the house. "Russell... what the.. who.. Why?!" was all Fletcher could ramble on with._

_"Take the town! Just take it! Leave us alone! Don't you dare touch my brother!" Russell babbled._

_"Take the-... Russell, are you mad!?" Fletcher cried through tears._

_"I'm glad you see it our way. And let me tell you... if your people want to fight against us, they don't stand a chance. I cannot wait for the day when you will lead them to "victory"." Strider sneered. "Good day to you." he added, and both he and Evan were out in seconds. And there Russell lay, crying his eyes out as he stared hard at the bloodsoaked floor... he wouldn't dare look up to face his brother, or his dying niece... He had already lost too much, and stared at his own hands._

_Weak.. that's what they were. Alchemy... the powerful science? It was nothing but a bunch of bull. The alchemy that he had thought he could use to protect others... and look where it had gotten him. He had sworn that he would never use alchemy again.. and when he had tried to, he failed. He had failed. Finally looking up, he saw Fletcher use his alchemy, to try and tend to his daughter. Russell dragged himself over to his brother, and helped in any way he could. After that... Russell only remembered going into hiding. He even remembered his own townspeople as they called out desperately for him, and that only made him weaker._

"Mr. Russell! This is the last time I ask politely for you to open this door at once!" a voice shouted rather loudly, having Russell look up quickly as he saw the door being banged on.

"I'll be right there!" he yelled back, and opened the door. In the doorway he saw Mustang and Lys. "Can I help you?" he seethed.

"We'd like a word, due to your participation in this war." Mustang said.

"Look, I'm doing the best I can. You're the strength, I'm the brains." Russell said with a shrug.

"Sorry, but that's not how it works." Mustang said coldly.

"What more do you want from me then?" Russell asked through grit teeth. Mustang basically let himself in, with Lys following uncertain of what would happen next.

"Mr. Tringham, do you realize that I am the Fuhrer of all the military officers out there?"

"Yes."

"And do you realize that I have to have not only the strength, but also the brains to be able to keep them _at least_ alive out there?"

"I'm well aware."

"I know that you have used this base for those who are elderly, those who are injured, and those who have been rescued."

"Your point?"

"With that said, I think you should at least raise a fight against these bastards and fight the good fight instead of cowering in fear in a corner." Mustang said sharply, his eyes piering through Russell's.

"Excuse me?" Russell said, clearing his throat.

"I'll put this in terms even a homeless person with little education could understand. Get off your ass and go help your people." Mustang said, now more fiercer than ever. Russell grabbed Mustang by the cuff.

"What the hell do you think I've been doing? The people here have been cared for, and who has cared for them? Me." Russell said.

"That isn't true. You may provide this place, but you don't do anything. You let others do your work for you. You let Tom take care of the children, you let the grandchildren take care of the elderly, you let the adults take care of the others, you let your own brother take care of those who are wounded. And what do they get in return from you? Your loving voice as you have your cooks serve them dinner. Let's face it, you don't do anything." Mustang said coldly. Russell seemed stunned. Had he just heard right?

"Excuse me? Would you care to repeat that?" Russell spat.

"You heard me well enough." Mustang countered. The two men stared at eachother with glaring eyes.

"I do plenty for this town the best I can." Russell said angrily.

"Oh please. Save the speeches Mr. Tringham. You do enough? Well, then I'd like to see you do my job, and let me see how hard yours is." Mustang said with a smirk. Russell at first continued to glare, but he finally walked away, slumping in his seat.

"I'm trying the best I can right now. If this place didn't exist, then there wouldn't _be_ anymore people in this town left." Russell explained, sighing.

"But we both know that you could do better. If you just let go of your fears and fight the good fight, then at least you would die a proud hero instead of dying as a weak and pathetic man; hiding in the shadows of past failures." Mustang said very sternly. Russell immediately grabbed him by the cuff.

"You think you ever witnessed the deaths of those most prescious to you?! Right in front of my very eyes I witnessed their deaths!" Russell shouted, pointing to his family pciture.

"Mr. Tring-"

"Watching when you're just so powerless. Even with alchemy, you're unable to protect those you love! Knowing that you're weak, and unable to do a thing! What good am I anyway then, if I can't even use alchemy to save them!?" Russell shouted, tears started to run down his face.

"Pull yourself together Mr. Tringham!" Mustang shouted. Russell stared at him with a powerless glare. "I know I could never know what you experienced... but I do know the feeling of weakness, and of losing someone you care about." Mustang continued.

"Who." Russell said hoarsely, now sitting on his seat as he cupped his hands and stared at the ground.

"A good comrad of mine. His name was Maes Hughes. He was my best friend. He died by the hands of... homunculous. And I wasn't even there to help him, or even try to save him." Mustang explained.

"So what did you do when he died?" Russell asked. He then felt Mustang's hand on his shoulder.

"For his sake, I continued to move foward in becoming Fuhrer. I never backed down, I stayed headstrong." Mustang said. "I think you should keep moving foward too. For yoru wife, your child, your brother and niece." he contniued. A silence started brewing.

"Please... just leave. Just leave me alone in peace. That's all I ask." Russell finally said in a mere whisper, his back turned from the two. Mustang sighed in frustration, but obeyed Russell's plea.

"Let's go Major Psywave." Mustang said, walking out. Lys followed, but turned back to Russell.

"I-if it helps... Mr. Russell sir... Even though you haven't done alchemy, and even though you still don't have faith in yourself... My sister and I still believe that you can fight with your alchemy and succeed." Lys said, and finally left as she closed the door. Russell, for two short moments, bowed his head and prayed.

Near-----The-----Coalmines

"I think we're almost there." Lizzie asid, huffing a little. She looked at her side, and found no one. "L-Leo?" she wondered, turning. Soon, she heard a familiar call and saw a stick figure in the distance.

"Wait.. for me! Slow down!" Leo said from behind as he finally caught up. He bent down with his hands on his knees, panting for breath. Lizzie only laughed at him.

"Come on. You call yourself "in shape"? More like you need to "work out"." Lizzie teased.

"I..I'm in shape! I just... haven't run in a long time!" Leo said.

"Save it for someone who believes you hun." Lizzie said with her eyes narrowed and a sly look on her face. Leo had an eye-twitch-narrow-eyed moment, before the two pressed on. As they walked down the path, Leo had his hands behind his head while Lizzie kept alert.

"I can't wait to beat those rebel's asses. They're gonna get it, BAD! No one kidnaps my sister and gets away with it. She must be in deep trouble. Normally by now she'd be free from capture if it were any normal capture." Leo said, starting to worry.

"But that's the thing. They're not normal. Something about them is way different. Their alchemy is more powerful... and Strider's alchemy is beyond me. As with their strength. The first time we ever fought against them, I knew something was.. _different_. I don't know what these rebels are hiding, but they could be dangerous. So stop being so casual and be alert!" Lizzie said and made him lose his balance. He fell with a thud and landed on his back.

"That wasn't funny!" Leo said angrily as he looked behind them. Suddenly, he saw a person following them. Getting up, he got his gun by his side. "Lizzie, we're being followed." Leo whispered, and Lizzie turned. She clapped her hands, and her alchemy was aimed at a nearby tree. There was a spark of light, and a sudden yelp. The two teens ran over, and looked to see that it was-

"Mr. Fletcher? What the heck are you doing here?!" Lizzie cried in disbelief. Fletcher, dangling as he stared at them, sweatdropped.

"W-well I thought I could... help. I mean, if you needed it of course." Fletcher responded. As Leo untied Fletcher and let him down, the three had a sudden silence occur.

"What about your brother?" Lizzie asked.

"Oh he's still at home." Fletcher replied, making Lizzie scoff off.

"Geez. You should talk some sense into him." Lizzie said with a snort.

"Oh don't worry I will." Fletcher said with a weak smile. Another silence...

"So uh... Mr. Fletcher if you don't mind, you might as well get back to the underground and all. Lizzie and I have to rescue my sister, and we don't want to put you in danger." Leo said as he started walking off. He suddenly felt Lizzie's hand on his shoulder, making him turn.

"Um... Leo... there's one problem here." Lizzie said.

"Oh? Yeah? And that would be?" Leo asked.

"You're not coming." Lizzie said firmly.

"What?! What are you talking about Li-" Before Leo could finish, Lizzie had knocked him out by striking him hard in the gut. He fell to the ground with a thud, and Lizzie turned to look at Fletcher.

"Mr. Fletcher. Please take Leo back to your home. I'm going in alone." Lizzie said, and without another word she walked on. Fletcher watched in almost complete awe. So she was going to take on the rebels alone? She was either a brave person, or a foolish girl. He frowned, putting Leo on his back as he turned.

"Be safe Lizzie." Fletcher muttered, and thought in his head, _'It's time I finally have a talk with Brother. He needs some straightening out to do.'_ And if Fletcher didn't talk to his brother now, this might be the end of Lizzie... For she had no idea what the rebels were capable of.

C-O-A-L-M-I-N-E-S

"Strider. She's very near." Lina said.

"Bad prescence follows..." Greg said, shivering, stopping his work as he was clawing his way through the coalmines.

"Not that... whatever it is." Skye said with a groan.

"Much later it will come..." Greg replied, finally continuing his digging.

"All right everyone. Let's do this. Greg, you almost done?" Strider asked.

"Finished! I think this is far enough. And down here there's enough room for you Strider." Greg said with a grizzly grin. Strider sneered and smiled.

"Very good. Okay everyone. Greg, Evan, Skye, Will, and Peter. You know what to do. Let's show Elric a good time." Strider said and through the coalmines an echoing of roars blasted through. Just outside of the coalmines, Lizzie heard the combination of roars and shivered slightly. As she stood in front of the entrance, she heard muffling screams that sounded like. _'Ren. I'm comin'.'_ Lizzie thought and without hesitation, she ran into the darkness.

Inside-----the-----Coalmines

"Ren! Ren where are you?!" Lizzie shouted as she ran through the mines. The only response was more muffling screams. Still, they were getting closer, and closer, and closer until... "REN!" Lizzie shouted as she saw the FlamingInferno Alchemist dangling, tied with rope from the top of the caved ceiling. She had tape wrapped over her mouth. Standing under Ren, Lizzie looked up.

"MMFPHH! MMFFHPPHH!!" Ren screamed, wriggling this way and that.

"Hold still Ren! I'll come and get you." Lizzie said, clapping her hands as she placed them on the ground. She had made a little elevation for herself as a tower of ground pushed her up. Coming to eye level with Ren, Lizzie immediately took off the tape quickly. Owch.

"Owwwwwwwwwwwww!" Ren immediately yelled in anger.

"Sorry!" Lizzie apologized. She then started to untie Ren. Ren, who seemed pretty anxious, suddenly heard low growls.

"L-Lizzie... You have to get out of here." Ren said, looking around the cave. She saw nothing, but still heard movement and noises.

"Not until you're free. I'm here to rescue you." Lizzie said. Ren didn't answer, she continued to look frantically around the cave.

"Lizzie... they're not human." Ren muttered. She then saw it... two yellow slits of eyes narrowing. A shadowy figure followed.

"What do you mean "not human"?" Lizzie asked.

"RUN!" Ren answered but Lizzie didn't get it.

"Run? From wha-" Without any time to finish her sentence, Lizzie felt a sharp pain enter her side as she was pushed off her tower and fell to the ground with a thud. Rolling a few feet away, she immediately got up and looked around. "What the hell?! They're animals?!" Lizzie shouted in disbelief once she saw a tail disappearing from sight.

_"Very funny. You're not that bright are you Elric?"_ a taunting voice asked. That voice and snobby attitude told Lizzie enough. She was to fight against Evan, but without knowing where he was, what he was, or how to fight against him, was this possibly going to be the end of Lizzie? She had to act fast... but if she was going to be against a whizzing blur, things weren't looking so good. The question was, would she succeed in rescuing Ren? Or would she have to pay a visit to Death's door?

E-N-D--O-F--C-H-A-P-T-E-R--21

A/N: k a lil cliffie i did. i really like the next chapter... this is where the fight scenes begin. and trust me, i tried to do them amazingly well, so i hope u'll like the action scenes in the upcoming chapters. the next chapter will be comin up soon, five days tops. please review if this chapter is worthy of it Arigatou! BYE!


	22. Silversteel vs Rebels Pt 1

A/N: ok everyone. here's chapter 22. i figured i'd leave the last chapter at a cliffie, if it was a cliffie anyways hehe. so now, here's chapter 22, and i hope u like it. it's short, trust me. all of my other chapters have been pretty long... i hope u've been able to put up with the long ones heheh. er.. anyways, please leave a review if u feel this chapter worthy. arigatou everyone! O yes, please read everything on the bottom after Chapter 22 Ends.. it would make me very happy if u did Arigatou again. -Silver

**Disclaimer: Fullmetal Alchemist does not belong to me. At all. So don't get any ideas :p**

**Chapter 22: SilverSteel vs. Rebels Pt. 1**

_"What the hell?! They're animals?!" Lizzie shouted in disbelief once she saw a tail disappearing from sight._

_"Very funny. You're not that bright are you Elric?" a taunting voice asked. That voice and snobby attitude told Lizzie enough. She was to fight against Evan, but without knowing where he was, what he was, or how to fight against him, was this possibly going to be the end of Lizzie? She had to act fast... but if she was going to be against a whizzing blur, things weren't looking so good. The question was, would she succeed in rescuing Ren? Or would she have to pay a visit to Death's door?_

First-----Part-----of-----the-----Coalmines

"Evan!? Where are you?" Lizzie asked, clapping her hands.

_"Alchemy's not going to work kid."_ Evan sneered and Lizzie felt a blow to her stomach as she was sent flying into the cave wall. Getting up painfully, all she could catch a glimpse of was the same tail again.

"Fight like a real opponent you coward!" Lizzie cried, hoping he would come out of hiding.

_"Oh you want to die so quickly?"_ Evan challenged, and Lizzie felt a sharp pain on her arm as the next thing she saw was blood. She had been clawed by whatever Evan was now.

"Ok that's it." Lizzie muttered and placed her hands on the ground. The next thing that had happened was the ground becoming sandlike. "Your speed won't be anything in the sand. Now come out here and show me what you're made of!" Lizzie taunted.

_"And I thought your brain was just a peanut shell. You're actually pretty smart."_ Evan laughed as he came out of hiding. Lizzie saw herself now facing an angry cheetah. Long, elegant legs with fire on the back, fur bristling as fire burned like strips on his back. And a thunder shaped patch right on his forehead. Gulping, Lizzie stared at the cheetah's menacing yellow eyes.

"Let's see you walk the walk, to back up your talk." Lizzie countered. Snarling, Evan jumped as he came down, but slid just a little. Given an opening, Lizzie ran in and punched the cheetah straight on in the face. Having knocked Evan a little, Lizzie clapped her hands and placed them on the ground again. She was then shot straight up so that Evan couldn't reach her.

_"Now look who's playing unfairly."_ Evan roared as he lunged, but only making halfway up the tower. His claws were screeching down the stone wall, making Lizzie cover her ears. As he landed, he growled, circling the square wall. _"Come on. Play fair kid. You evened the floorboard down here, but you haven't evened it out in the air."_ Evan taunted. The next thing he knew was rolling on the ground, writhing in pain.

"Shut up you overgrown cat!" Lizzie called, jumping down from the height and landing a good kick to Evan's side. It hurt more than usual though. Thrown across the sand, Evan got up wearily.

_"You little scum! I'm gonna rip you to shreds!" _Evan said, his howling snarl made her take a step back. His side was bleeding, for the tower had been turned to a tower filled with ground spikes as one landed a blow to his gut. Both Lizzie's legs were coated in steel from the watch, making her both weaken in speed, but add on to the strength. She stared at Evan, slightly feeling sorry for him.

"Sorry. That's not going to happen. Where are your other friends? And Strider?" Lizzie asked, watching the big cat circle her.

_"They're deeper in the coalmines. You'll have to fight each one of us until you face Strider. Are you up for the challenge?"_ Evan asked, still circling.

"I'm ready as ever." Lizzie thought. _'It can't get much worse if they're all animals now at least... no more weapons.'_ she thought.

_"Good. But you'll have to get passed me first!"_ Evan roared and lunged. Lizzie knew it wasn't an option to dodge this attack, so she prepared herself and placed her arms in front of her face and chest. As Evan landed a blow, his fangs sunk deep into her right arm as his claws scratched her left. Making her land with a thud on her back, she saw through her shield that Evan was sinking his teeth even further.

"Get offa me you cat!" Lizzie cried, her steel retreating from her legs as she kicked his stomach, making Evan go flying as a blood trail followed. Getting up quickly, Lizzie backflipped two feet away from the giant cat as he landed gracefully on his feet. His teeth were bared as blood dripped from them, and his snout shook visciously.

_"You'll pay for that one."_ Evan said, and started running at her again. This time, Lizzie clapped her hands and created a rock wall that was a little bit wider so that no matter where Evan went she would have some advantage. Acting even quicker, she transmuted a shield for herself and made the sand around her turn to smooth, slippery scenery. Waiting for Evan to either come from left or right, or jump over it, she heard nothing. _"Looking for me?"_ his voice asked. Looking up, Lizzie found herself staring at Evan from above. He lunged again and was hit hard in the face by the shield. He skidded off for a moment, and bared his teeth again.

"Sorry. You'll have no luck hurting me again." Lizzie said and charged foward, shield in front. Evan was ready to dodge, but felt the floor beneath him make him slip and fall. Looking up he saw the shield come charging at him.

_"Well done. You beat me."_ Evan muttered, and the shield bashed against his forehead, making him go flying into the wall. He landed with a thud, and turned back to himself. Lizzie walked over to him, huffing a little.

"Where do I go next?" Lizzie asked.

"Deeper into the cave. Don't worry, I'll let your friend go. You beat me fair and square. I was too cocky." Evan said with a grin, blood dribbling down his face. Lizzie stared at Evan for a moment, and reached into her pocket. She brought out a hankerchief and walked over to him. Evan seemed stunned for a moment, wondering what she would do. As she bent down to him, she just wiped the blood away and put the cloth back into her pocket.

"Thanks. I trust you with her. Don't let that trust be crushed." Lizzie said and walked on. Evan watched, and sighed with a smile. _'She really is different than the other state alchemists.'_ he thought and finally got up.

Deeper-----into-----the------Coalmines

As Lizzie continued to make her way down the path, she heard a low gruffing noise, and looked behind her. A pair of shiny, white eyes was staring at her. She turned, and was ready to face her next opponent. All around her she saw some minerals in huge quantities. This area was an even bigger dome than the one where Evan was.

_"You beat Evan?"_ a voice asked.

"Yes. Which rebel are you?" Lizzie responded. The only response she got was a shadow getting up on its hind legs, and sniffing the air. It was huge, she had to admit. The paws were huge, and claws sharp. Hind legs big and strong, but tail like a wolf's.

_"Greg. I'm here to defeat you."_ Greg answered and walked into the light. Lizzie's eyes widened even more. There was Greg, in a huge bearwolf form. Bigger than a bear though... and some features of a wolf's. His snout was a wolf's, body and legs of a bear, and tail of a wolf's. His ears were a combination of a bear's and a wolf's, probably meaning that sneak attacks wouldn't work. Still, Lizzie could still see a childish look on the bears face. A puzzled look as bright white eyes stared at her in a curious way. She also saw scars on his nose and cheek.

"And I'm here to press onto the next rebel waiting for my arrival." Lizzie said sternly, and immediately Greg roared and came charging. Lizzie dodged easily, but watched as Greg ran into the wall, damaging it and not himself. Wow, talk about strong. Shaking himself off, Greg charged again. Lizzie ran this time, and dodged as she hid behind a rock. _'If I don't move... he won't hear me.'_ Lizzie thought.

_"I found you."_ she heard Greg say, and looked up to see his paw raised. Lizzie, wide eyed, tried to dodge but was hit with a piece of rock that was broken off and wobbled off a little. The next thing she knew she was pawed again and with force. She landed against the rock wall with a loud crash, and then felt the bearwolf's paw crushing her chest. _"You're dead."_ Greg said.

"No.. Not.. Yet!" Lizzie roared back, struggling to breathe. She felt her life suddenly being drained away, the air leaving her body. She had to act, and quick! Using her arm, she used the blood to create a transmutation circle on the wall, activating it. A ground spike was created, shooting through the bears arm. In a loud shout, Greg immediately released her and cried out in pain as he moaned like a little child. Landing on the ground on her butt, Lizzie huffed as she watched the bearwolf struggle as he held his paw in pain.

"HERE I COME!" Lizzie announced as she charged at the bearwolf, elbow landing a blow in the bearwolf's abdomen. Greg bellowed with a loud shout as he swung his tail, wrapping it around Lizzie's leg as it brought her down.

_"You're not getting away from me!"_ Greg roared and threw her side to side on the ground. Lizzie acted quickly before she would hurl, letting herself get loose from Greg's reach as she scrambled to a shadowy area, away from his sight. _"No good. You can't escape from me. I know where you are."_ Greg explained, charging at her hiding spot, making her get thrown into the wall. She stumbled again, and then had a plan. Running like crazy away from Greg, she threw some dirt into his eyes, making him reel back and fall on his back.

"Let's hope this works.." Lizzie mumbled, transmuting most of the minerals she had seen earlier into mirrors. Once they were all placed in different angles, she created a megaphone for herself and crawled to a place where Greg could not get her. Once Greg regained his eyesight, he sniffed and sneered, but then looked in complete confusion once he saw many Lizzie's surrounding him.

_"Where are you?"_ Greg growled softly.

_"Try and find me Greg. I'm here."_ her voice said, the mirror copies saying what she said. The echoing though and mirror images clouded Greg's judgement, and finally he rammed into all the mirrors, crushing them and sending broken glass shards scattering everywhere.

_"Show your face State Alchemist!" _Greg roared, confused until he finally crashed into a mirror that made him ram into a hard slate of smooth, rock. Backing up, Greg shook his head with a loud roar of anger and finally collapsed on his side. Lizzie came out of her hiding spot now, and walked over to the bearwolf. _"You win."_ he said, panting.

"Thanks very much. Keep going further, right?" Lizzie asked as she bent down to Greg's face.

_"Yeah. But I don't think you'll get passed the others. They're a lot stronger than me and Evan." _Greg answered with a smirk. Lizzie couldn't help but smile back.

"I'll manage. You'll see, I'll prove you wrong." Lizzie said and gave a pat to the bearwolf's head before walking off again. Greg lifted his head again, watching her stumble away. _'She is different, hngh? Strider's gonna have a fun time all right.'_ Greg thought to himself and got up, walking away to where Evan would be.

Third-----Part-----of-----the-----Coalmines

Lizzie found herself huffing and puffing for breath even more with each step she took. Her eyes grew tired and weary as well. That last fight with Greg was more than it was with Evan. Who would be next? And how tough would they be? As Lizzie made her way to the third stage, she saw it was not as big as all the rest. She wondered who commanded this place, slowly making her way into the center. She put some pressure on her arm wound again, stopping the blood temperarily.

_"You're wounded. You must be pretty strong to get by Greg and Evan."_ a voice said in a scruffy tone. Lizzie turned to the source, but saw nothing.

"Where are you?" Lizzie asked, putting herself into her fighting position. From out of the shadows, Lizzie found herself staring at a wolverine. It was slim, still growing. On its shoulders its hair was spiked up like a porcupines whole body was, as for the hind legs and back. What made Lizzie stare at was the automail arm. Was it Strider? Or was it...

_"I'm not here to fight... seeing as you didn't fight me when I attacked you."_ the wolverine said calmly, walking up to her. It was then that she realized she was watching the wolverine as it came over with something in its mouth. Taking a step back, the wolverine took one back as well. _"If you don't trust me, then I'll never be able to thank you for what you did. Well... I mean, I'll never be able to have you send a message to your mother. Tell her I say thanks and all..."_ the wolverine said.

"Will?" Lizzie finally said. As the wolverine took a few more steps foward, she looked at him as he placed down a small bottle filled with red liquid.

_"This stuff can heal all of your wounds so far. You might want to save some of it though so you can enhance your alchemy ten fold. This red liquid was used on us, so it courses through our veins, making it impossible to kill us really. Still, with you using this stuff you might actually beat Strider."_ Will said calmly, licking his paw and rubbing his face.

"Thanks.." Lizzie said, opening the bottle and placing some liquid on her hand. She placed her hand over her arm wound and found it slowly sizzling and disappearing. She smiled then, and turned to Will. "Really. Thank you. I'll tell my mom you send your thanks." Lizzie said with a grin. The wolverine nodded, and started to walk away.

_"You'd best keep going. Once you come to a fork in the path, turn left. If you manage to defeat the two waiting for you there, head to the right. After that go straight foward until you reach a hole going even further below the coalmines. That's where Strider is waiting."_ Will said. Lizzie nodded, turning to walk away. Still, Will stopped for a moment and called her attention. _"By the way... is um... your sister uh... Is she-"_

"Yeah. She's single." Lizzie said, containing some laughter as the wolverine nodded and ran off. Probably embarrassed somewhat, but Lizzie didn't mind. Though she'd have to tell Lys sooner or later. Placing the bottle of liquid securely in her pocket, she finally ran at a nice pace down the hallway tunnel.

Fourth-----Part-----of-----the-----Coalmines

As Lizzie continued her way down the tunnel, she found herself at the fork in the path. Taking Will's advice, she turned left and entered a very large dome type area. Looking around, she saw boulders almost everywhere. As she made her entrance in the middle, she soon realized that was a big mistake. She heard a huge thudding noise, and turned seeing that a huge boulder was now blocking her entrance. No getaway... and certainly no turning back now.

_"Well. You've beaten three out of seven rebels. You're something else runt."_ a voice snarled.

_"It all ends here though, for you cannot beat us."_ another growled. Looking all around, Lizzie saw two huge shadows in the only dim light she was able to get.

"It's no fun fighting you if I can't do it fairly. Already two against one is unfair. At least let me see what I'm up against." Lizzie said, a bead of sweat rolling down her face. She stared at the shadows that growled lowly with hidden snarls, and soon realized she was standing opposite of a wolf with a spikeball flaming tail, and a tiger that was huge in comparison. The tiger had a lion's mane, and also a dragons tail.

_"Let the deathmatch begin."_ the tiger snarled, and without any warning at all, he lunged.

E-N-D--O-F--C-H-AP-T-E-R--22

Me: ok. that was a pretty decent chapter. i can't say how long the next one will be though. this'll be a three-part thing. and wow guys.. we still have so much to go. i'm actually getting worried this might be over 30 chapters at this rate. i mean, here's what i have so far that needs to still be done. after xenotime i have planned: 1) back to Central for the Tournament Saga. 2) going to Rush Valley 3) going to Dublith 4) back to Central 5) back to Risenbool 6) trip to Munich, Germany 7) back to Risenbool and head to Lior 8) and find a good ending after that. so wow... also i still need to take care of Tucker. things are gettin heated up. i think that dublith will be more than 2 chapters now that i think about it since i've taken _that_ into consideration. -sighs heavily- oh wat to do.. woe is me T.T

Lizzie: wat are u worried about? who cares how long the chapters are, at least the readers like ur story.

Me: yeah... but maybe too many chapters will make 'em not like the story anymore. or just lose total interest in the story completely T.T This is the first story i've ever done with over 20 chapters.. and i don't want readers to lose interest if it's over... so.. hey reviewers and readers, u don't care how long this story is, right? as long as u like it it's ok right? plz leave a review if this chapter is worthy of one. i'll update in... well guys, i'll update next week. :) bye! -Silver


	23. Silversteel vs Rebels Pt 2

A/N: hey everyone. here's chapter 23... please leave a review if u feel this chapter worthy of one . Arigatou!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own FMA. just my OCs

**Chapter 23: Silversteel vs. Rebels Pt. 2**

With little time to react, Lizzie braced herself as the huge cat had her pinned. His paws held down her shoulders securely, having his claws sink into her skin. Wincing, she used her leg to kick the tiger off of her and transmute a lance.

"Now now do we really have to do this?" Lizzie protested.

_"Shut it runt. If you wanna give up so easily go and die."_ the tiger snarled.

"Temper much?" Lizzie countered. The tiger snarled in another ferocious rage as he lunged. His fangs were showing and his claws were outstretched. "Hello! Do you not see I have a weapon!" Lizzie said, ready to use her lance. What she didn't expect was his tail to grab firm hold of her weapon and snap it in two. Sweatdropping, Lizzie dodged the attack and landed a blow to the tiger's side as he went skidding to a hault. But immediately as he fell, the wolf lunged from above as she sent down a tail slammer. Dodging again quickly, Lizzie used her alchemy to create some spikes of her own that lunged for the wolf. Graceful as it was, it was hit on the hind leg and fell with a small thud.

_"You are a worthy opponent."_ the wolf said as she got up.

"Mind telling me which rebels you are before we continue?" Lizzie asked, transmuting another weapon for herself. A sword with a golden handle, and edged in jewels that were more than just decoration.

_"I am Skye."_ the wolf said.

_"Name's Peter."_ the tiger answered, his teeth still showing in a glare.

"Right then. On with the fight!" Lizzie answered and charged foward with her sword in hand. The two animals jumped in opposite directions and came charging at her at the same time. Lizzie watched their movements, and did a backwards flip as she watched the wolf and tiger collide with a loud bang as they were flown back into the boulders.

_"Should have seen that comin."_ Peter said angrily.

_"It won't happen again."_ Skye replied calmly. The two stood side by side now, ready to lunge.

"Come on. I'm more than ready." Lizzie said, placing a hand on her sapphire jewel on the end of the sword. As the two lunged again, Lizzie activated her jewel, and transmuted her sword into a high powered ray gun. Firing the beam was easy, but hitting the target was hard. As she realized that the two were strong in agility, she aimed up high and had a bit of rocks start to fall from above.

_"You fool! If you do that you could have this whole cave collapse on us and yourself!"_ Skye growled.

"That's not going to happen." Lizzie said, touching the pearl embedded on the gun's handle, turning it back into a sword.

_"I'll show you what a real rebel warrior can do you maggot!"_ Peter roared as he came quickly from the side, landing a blow to Lizzie's shoulder. Lizzie screamed in pain as she fell back onto the ground, writhing slowly as she held onto her shoulder. It had been damaged pretty deep, and luckily for her he hadn't been able to dislocate it at all. Panting, Lizzie got back up and faced the tiger.

"That was low." Lizzie said, and charged in with full force, her hand on the ruby jewel found in the middle of her sword. With a huge swing, she landed a mighty blow to the tiger's underbelly as he was sent flying into the groundwall and fell back with a loud thud. Lizzie's sword was now a huge hammer. Snarling, the wolf checked on Peter before taking the center stage.

_"You may have weakened him, but you still have me to deal with!"_ the wolf howled and jumped high in the air, landing with a shocking thud as the ground was suddenly created into a huge crater, sending shockwaves that sent Lizzie flying a couple feet back. Finding balance once again, Lizzie changed her hammer back into the sword, and watched the wolf's movements as she circled around the girl.

"When I defeat you then I'll be able to move on!" Lizzie roared and got into position. Skye thought this meant that Lizzie would attack, so she charged in. Lizzie smirked, and transmuted her sword into a simple pole made of steel as Skye latched her fangs onto the thing. Using all of her strength, Lizzie sent Skye flying with a huge shock wave of her own as the wolf was sent straight through the boulder that had blocked the entrance.

As the boulder fell, so did the wolf with a sickening thud as there was a small yelp. Lizzie looked up in suprise, and was ready to walk over and help Skye. She didn't realize that as the boulder broke, a large piece of rock had suddenly fallen on Skye's lower half, pinning her to the ground. Walking foward, Lizzie suddenly yelled in pain and suprise as she felt something warm run down her injured arm. She also felt a new weight begin to be overwhelming as she fell to the ground with a thud.

_"You will die for hurting my mate!"_ Peter roared as he sank his teeth even lower, his claws were slashing down her shoulder. Lizzie had new strength burning in her as she suddenly got up and thrusted her steel pole behind her. There was a splattering sound of blood, and the tiger fell to the ground with a thud. Looking back wearily, Lizzie saw that she had sent her weapon straight through the tiger's abdomen.

"You stay here." Lizzie commanded, walking over to the now panting wolf. As Lizzie was close by, Skye raised her head and snarled, bearing her teeth visciously. "Relax." Lizzie said, and bent down to the small boulder. Placing her right hand under the rock, she raised her weak left in absolute pain as she started to raise the rock. When it was high enough to let Skye leave, the wolf scampered away as Lizzie dropped the rock with a huge sigh. She turned, seeing Skye rush over to Peter as best she could with her front paws.

_"What did you do to him!?"_ Skye roared angrily.

"Don't go snapping at me. I just saved your life." Lizzie said stubbornly, reaching into her pocket and finding the bottle of red liquid. Placing a small amount on her hands, she clapped them and placed them over the tiger's wound. There was a small sizzling noise, and sparks were made until the wound closed shut on its own. Peter, now in his human form, looked at Lizzie.

"Why did you do that?" he asked, bewhildered.

"It's not right. For me to leave both of you here to suffer or die while I keep going." Lizzie answered, fixing Skye's legs and lower half. Skye returned to her human form as well, and a look of shock and guilt was replaced.

"You didn't have to do this." Skye said. Lizzie now placed her own hand on her shoulder, wincing once as the pain slowly started to retreat.

"Of course I did. We're all humans. If you were in danger, I'd be burdened with guilt for not helping. I didn't intend on killing you... I intend on stopping you with this senseless war." Lizzie said calmly, a frown though planted on her face. "If I can make you see that war is senseless and should stop... shouldn't that be enough? I don't want lives to be taken." Lizzie added as she stood.

"Girl, you don't know our reasons." Peter said, his voice slightly racing as he tried keeping his cool.

"You're right. I don't know your true reasons. But I do know that taking lives should be stopped, and should never happen at all. I don't know what the military did to you, but that's no excuse for going out in the world and taking revenge by killing innocent lives, especially when those lives aren't even involved in the military." Lizzie responded, and made her way to the fork in the cave, not making any effort to turn back. Lizzie sighed as she continued her slow way back to the fork in the cave though, staring at the small bottle. There was hardly any left, only a drop.

"Wait!" Peter called. Lizzie turned, seeing him walk over with Skye behind him.

"What is it?" Lizzie asked.

"Here." Peter said, and took out his sword, cutting a small wound on his arm. He took the small bottle from her, and had some of his blood fill it up.

"What are you-"

"I assume that you know that red elixer runs through our veins. My blood must have that, so you have enough for the two battles ahead. Good luck." Peter said, a small smile was barely seen. Lizzie nodded, turning away as she continued to walk on. A few ways away, she turned back, a bright grin planted on her face.

"Thanks. The others will be waiting for you at the entrance." she said, and continued to make her way to the second to last rebel, her steel pole in hand.

Part-----Five-----of-----the-----Coalmines

As Lizzie entered the left side of the fork, she saw that there was nothing but ground in the dome. Looking to her left though, she could see just a small little spring where watered was flowing from, like a little waterfall. That was most fortunate. She was pretty thirsty. After this fight, she made sure to herself that she'd get a drink of water. It would be refreshing after all. Suddenly though, she was attacked as needles suddenly rained down on her. Closing her eyes and placing her arms in front of her face, she waited for the rain to end.

_"You are something else young girl."_ a calm, quiet, almost peaceful voice called. Lizzie, opening her eyes looked around and saw all the needles had missed her, but were surrounding her as well. She even noticed on the top something liquidy running down the tip. _'Poison?'_ Lizzie thought. Looking up, she saw a shadowy bird with its wings outspread as it flew in circles above her.

"So I'm assuming that you're Lina." Lizzie said, watching the bird as it came down and placed one graceful foot on the water. Lizzie watched, and slightly had her face turn to disgust as the water turned a deadly, purple, color. Thankfully, when Lina took a few more steps to the ground, the water was turned back to its crystal clear condition.

_"You assume correct. It amazes me that you could make it to my chambers."_ the bird said, wings outstretched. Lizzie saw the swan in front of her. Beautiful, deadly, and had a mysterious gaze. Lizzie took her stance, and held her steel pole tightly.

"You should have never underestimated an Elric." Lizzie responded with a grin. The swan's eyes narrowed once, but grinned.

_"Then, let this fight begin."_ she said, and with a raise of her wings, she sent poisonous needles flying. Lizzie dodged all of them, and the rest she made repel against her pole. The needles flew in all different directions, and once they were gone Lizzie charged at the swan with a mighty swing. The swan flew up high into the air swiftly, getting to safety.

"Come on and fight me like a real bird you coward!" Lizzie roared angrily, sending up transmuted spikes that were sent so quick that Lina had enough time to dodge at least only a few at a time.

_"No need to get so fired up all at once."_ the swan said, sending more than just a few needles this time. She sent a storm of them, making Lizzie change her pole into a shield, repelling all that came her way. _'Damnit! If I'm gonna beat this rebel.. I gotta think on my feet. One hit from that thing and I'm dead meat!'_ Lizzie thought. This would probably be the toughest rebel she would face this far. She only wondered how Strider would fight. How tough he really would be. Once Lizzie heard no more of needles coming her way, she played it safe and closed her eyes. _'To train the mind, you gotta train the body. Think Liz, where is she gonna attack from next if I can't see in front of me?'_ Lizzie thought to herself.

There! Lizzie opened her eyes abruptly, changing her shield into a spear as she turned around quickly, seeing the swan behind her with wings beating hard. Lina's eyes stared hard at Lizzie's when she threw some of her needles as Lizzie threw her spear with such great accuracy. There was a squawking screech and a hard flapping of wings as a thud was heard. Lizzie, able to dodge all of the needles except for one which had been pierced straight through her right hand as it was outstretched from the spear's throw. A small shout escaped Lizzie's lips as she painfully took the needle out.

_"Damnit, you brat!"_ Lina squawked angrily, taking the spear out of her damaged wing with her beak. Panting slightly, Lizzie felt the poison slowly start its trail edge up her arm. She couldn't let this get to her, already she felt the poison spread even further! She probably only had one more chance before she would die.

"Make it count.." she muttered to herself, and shook her head for a moment to ease the sudden headache she was getting.

_"It's all over for you Elric. Even you should tell that the poison is quickly taking effect over your body. It won't be until a matter of moments where you'll just drop and die." _Lina said calmly with a small groan as she gripped the spear from the hanlde. Lizzie had to think, had to act very soon. Otherwise, she would die... She would fail, she would let down so many people... No! She couldn't let that get to her. Quickly she took action as she ran straight toward Lina. One final blow was all she needed, and only now did she pray in her mind that all of this would work.

"CHARGE!" Lizzie shouted, hoping that hearing her voice suddenly become powerful would give her the burst of courage she needed.

_"Foolish child."_ Lina said with a cackle. The swan watched her movements, and dodged gracefully as she pulled the spear from her injured wing. Dropping the spear, Lizzie quickly clapped her hands and outstretched them to where the spear was. If she could pull this off, then at least she would be taking Lina with her.

"It's over.." Lizzie muttered, closing her eyes and sent a small ball of light towards her weapon. The weapon glowed, and it rose into the air itself. The color began to change, and the spear was becoming sharper, the designs more intense, and behind it were two outstretched wings. "This is the end!" Lizzie cried, opening her eyes that were glowing pure white. The spear was sent flying, the energy wings folding to give the weapon more speed and power.

_"The end for you, if that's what you mean!" _Lina called, throwing the needles straight at Lizzie. _'How foolish, to think that you could win if you can't see.'_ Lina thought, but then was amazed as the spear suddenly spun round and round like at the speed of light, repelling all of the needles. Not good. At this rate, Lina herself was in danger. She didn't know where the needles would repel too, until it was all too late. There was a sudden noise of small thumping sounds, then a squawk, and then a thud adding a small crackling noise.

As Lizzie opened her eyes, she dropped to the ground and panted for breath. The spear instantly dropped, and the light orb floated back to Lizzie's chest and disappeared in a small burst of light. Looking up, she saw the swan pinned to the ground wall, blood trails ran down the stone surface. There were needles that were on both Lina's wings, her legs, and one through her neck. Was she really... dead?

Lizzie got up slowly, and took one step at a time to the swan. It became harder and harder for her, and with each step her chest grew tighter and tighter. How the poison spread so quickly, only Lizzie could wonder. She paused for a moment when she saw the swan strain her neck a little. The needle was instantly shot out of Lina's neck, and all that was left was a little hole being repaired as if it was never there at all.

_"Well done child."_ Lina said calmly, weakly, unable to move anything else. Lizzie nodded, and slowly crept her way over to Lina. As she clapped her hands and placed them on the ground, Lizzie rose to where the pinned swan was.

"Looks like I won't be able to fight the last battle after all..." Lizzie said, as if to herself as she took the needles out of Lina's wings.

_"What are you doing? You don't have to do this. You could just leave me here. Why even bother?"_ Lina asked, suprised and slightly confused.

"It would be unlike me to leave you hanging here." Lizzie answered, moving on to the next wing. Lina moved her right wing slowly now, and watched as she strained her neck to move her face. Lizzie was able to get the left wing now, and took both needles that stuck out of Lina's legs. When Lina was released, she landed on the ground gracefully and turned into herself.

"You are a fool." Lina said, her face contorted in rage and sudden pain. Was it guilt?

"Maybe. But at least one life will be spared." Lizzie answered, and closed her eyes as she dropped to the ground with a thud. Lina frowned, staring at Lizzie who was right on Death's doorstep. Slowly, Lizzie opened her eyes once to focus them on the water she had seen before. The water continued to flow from the little crevace in the wall, still pure and untainted now. She smiled.

"It's ashame... I only wish... that maybe I could have had a nice... drink of that water... I sure am thirsty now..." she said to herself, laughing once before closing her eyes again. All of her senses started to fade away... Her sight was probably going dark, she couldn't move anything, let alone feel. Her hearing was starting to fade, as the sound of flowing water suddenly disappeared. She didn't even realize that Lina had walked over to her, picked up her body, and walked her over to the spring. Was this an act of kindness? Or maybe just a fullfillment of her request before she died? Who knew... at least she got a drink of water.

She felt the water go down her throat. Mmmm... it was so cold, so refreshing. It all ended though when she felt a sudden rush of heat come from her injured hand, and then everything grew dark. So, this was the end... _'Lys... Ray... Leo... everyone... Mom, Dad... goodbye.'_

E-N-D--O-F--C-H-A-P-T-E-R--23

A/N: oooh, what's going to happen next? well... u'll all have to find out on Friday please review if u feel this chapter worthy of it... :) -Sil


	24. The Final Rebel Boss

A/N: ok. here's chapter 24. i hope u all like it, and i hope so far i've been doing well with the fight scenes and such. please review if u find this chapter worthy of it. arigatou everyone.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist.

**Chapter 24: The Final Rebel Boss**

Lizzie felt a sudden burst of energy come from her heart, as she opened her eyes wearily. Looking around, she saw Lina having her back turned. Slowly rising from her spot, Lizzie wondered how she was still alive.

"You're awake. Good." Lina said calmly, walking over to Lizzie.

"How?" Lizzie asked.

"The water here was the antidote to the poison. I also sealed your hand wound, destroying all traces of poison in your body." Lina explained.

"Why?" Lizzie asked again, rising to her feet.

"My debt is repaid." was all Lina answered with.

"Debt? What debt?" Lizzie questioned.

"You showed kindness to me, releasing me from the wall that I was pinned against with the poison I had used against you. You didn't have to do that, but you did it anyways. And for that, I am thankful." Lina explained calmly, still turned away from Lizzie. As Lizzie brushed herself off, she looked around.

"Thank you... Lina." Lizzie said, and grinned. Lina didn't respond this time, but instead she took Lizzie by the hand and led her to the final end of the tunnel. Throwing Lizzie roughly to the ground, she stared from the girl to the hole next to her.

"You'll find Strider down there. If you manage to defeat him, then you truly are a worthy opponent. But I must warn you, Strider is not one to take on lightly." Lina said.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Lizzie said, transmuting her pole to the sword she had used against Peter and Skye. Lina nodded, and turned to walk away.

"I can't believe I'm saying this... but, good luck." she called and ran off back to the other rebels who were waiting. Lizzie nodded, a confident grin was on her face. As she turned to the hole, she jumped down and discovered that the area she was now in was twice as big as all the other ones combined were! What kind of creature would Strider be, if the room had to be this big? She didn't even realize that the hole she just jumped down from was way up higher than she had thought.

"Well well. Looks like you were able to get through the other six of us. How fortunate." Lizzie heard Strider's smartass tone. Turning toward the direction, Lizzie saw Strider clapping quite slowly as he walked to where she was. "However, your good luck streak is about to end." he added, turning that smile into a deadly anger frown.

"Whoever said I had good luck on my side? Maybe I just had great skils." Lizzie taunted, and held her sword in both of her hands, bending her knees a little, and waiting for an opportunity to strike (a/n: her stanze looks like Sora's stanze from KH when he holds the Keyblade). Strider, not amused, laughed evilly as he sent one of his cannonballs to the girl.

"What, we playing baseball?! Gimme a break kid!" Strider laughed, to turn into a frown as he dodged his own cannonball as it was sent flying back to him. "What the hell?!" he cried in disbelief.

"Don't think I wouldn't be able to figure a way around your cannon Strider! This sword is made of material that can easily send back your cannonballs straight at you!" Lizzie said.

"Damn. And I thought you'd be easy to get rid of." Strider said, anger written on his face. The cannonball went off, but the explosion was minor.

"Ha. No more relying on your automail." Lizzie said with a grin on her face. Strider, anger starting to rise, charged forth at Lizzie and was able to grab her around the waist and throw her into the wall. The sword flew away from Lizzie's hands, falling to the ground a few feet away as she hit the wall hard. Catching her breath, Lizzie was able to dodge the automail claw that was being sent towards her.

"I don't need my cannon to finish you off." Strider said, a frown on his face. Lizzie panted, looking at the sword that was a little bit away from her. Taking immediate action, Lizzie ran at a fast speed and managed to take the sword and turn it into the hammer.

"Bring it on." Lizzie said, and Strider charged foward again. Lizzie, swinging the hammer, had it do a one-on-one attack with Strider's swung automail. There was a major impact, sending an airwave that created some dust ripples on the ground. After a few moments, Lizzie felt her side suddenly give way and she was sent flying to the side as she skidded to a hault.

"Hahaha. You think that you could actually match up against my automail?" Strider said, a crazed look planted on his face.

"What the... how did you-"

"I have two arms you know. I just used the other to give you a good punch. Next time it's going to be a kick." Strider answered as he walked foward. Lizzie, a little shaken, quickly got up and started to transmute a new weapon. "I don't think so." Strider said, slamming his fist into the ground. It sent a huge shockwave that demolished Lizzie's transmutation and also sent her flying. Sliding away from Strider, she got up and clapped her hands.

"If I can't make something out of the ground... then the air is just going to have to do!" Lizzie seethed and created herself a small dagger, having waves of air currents around it. Without warning, with lightning speed she charged at Strider, the dagger going straight for his heart.

"Heh. You think you can kill me with that puny thing?" Strider said with a laugh, and extended his claw. His steel-palm opened and a hook and iron rope grabbed onto her dagger, crushing it as it then extended to be like a claw, wrapped around Lizzie's neck. Drawing her close, Lizzie struggled against the claw as it began to squeeze, taking her air away from her. Gasping for breath, Strider loosened his grip just a little.

"I could kill you right now." Strider hissed to her, loving the fact that he saw for a split second some fear in her eyes. But then he screamed in pain when suddenly, his automail began to change and mold. He let her go instantly, and dropped the ground, clutching his now damaged and deformed automail.

"You were saying.." Lizzie choked for a moment, breathing heavily and backflipping away.

"YOU LITTLE BRAT! I'm going to rip you to pieces!" Strider roared as he got up and raised his human palm. On it was a transmutation circle, and he sent a dark energy blast that sent the girl flying. As she was hit by the powerful wave, scratches and bruises suddenly appeared on her arms and legs. The force of the attack was like a massive wave of gravity punching into her flesh and bones. Groaning as she landed with a thud, she got up painfully to see Stider before her. He grinned, and used his hand to raise her chin.

"Damn you, bastard." she muttered, and spat into his eyes, making him draw back quickly. At the two seconds she had, she transmuted a groundspike that made its blow. Strider screamed out again in pain, feeling a heated rush come from his leg. The spike had shot through his knee. He could feel the bone crack.

"You..." Strider murmured, the pain becoming intense. He destroyed the spike, and slowly backed away, panting. Lizzie got up herself, panting as well. This was the greatest fight so far she had to face. Although, the one with Peter and Skye was pretty close to being called equal... but then again, that was when they were in their stronger form. With Strider, only could she imagine what she would be up against when he got into his wild side.

Aggrivatingly, she came to the conclusion that she definately couldn't show any weakness. She also would not allow failure, or lose in this fight match. Once again, Strider rushed up to her, punching her in the gut. She groaned once, but lande a kick to his side that made him fly. The next thing he saw were a bunch of ground spikes all coming toward him. Dodging all of them, he stared daggers at the girl.

"You're becoming a real pain." Lizzie said, a line of blood dribbling down the side of her mouth. She clapped her hands, and a wave of ground suddenly wrapped itself around the rebel as it came crashing down like a tidal wave. Held captive in the ground tomb, Strider moved his face a little and growled.

"You really are talented Elric. If only I can make you understand our goal." Strider said, sighing a bit, showing a bit of boredom on his face. Was he really not affected by her alchemy? It made Lizzie wonder. She came up to him though, knowing he was incapable of harming her. Her face was at least six inches away from his.

"Understand your goal? Your goal is cruel and evil! There's no way I would ever want to join up with you!" Lizzie said.

"It's the military's fault for what they did to us. It's their fault, they're the reason why all of this has happened!" Strider shouted angrily.

"It's their fault? I've heard a lot of people saying what the reason is for this war. The military is the reason for the war, my father is the reason, alchemists who want power are the reason. Make up your damn mind!" Lizzie roared.

"You just don't get it kid. The military set up scientists to make us into monsters! They experimented on us, tormented us! You can't possibly imagine the pain we went through, living in a hell hole like that! Your father, he was my idle. He would see my reasons, so he would agree with me that this is the right choice to have made at that time! And it's true, alchemists who have strayed away from the rules have turned to becoming powerhungry souls. But that makes them even more powerful on my team. If your father would join, why won't you?!" Strider tried to comprimise, but there was a funny smile planted on his face. It was wiped off when Lizzie slapped him hard across the cheek.

"Shut up! JUST SHUT UP!" Lizzie spat. She gritted her teeth, grinding them so loudly that it made her ears hurt. "Just shut up. Stop telling me about your past. Stop telling me about how whoever did these things to you went about them! It's in the past! I don't care about the past, I care about now and the future! You've strayed too far. You've gone over the borderline! Wanting revenge against the military, even that I could understand. You didn't deserve what happened to you then..." Lizzie said.

"Heh. So you see it my way, huh?"

"BUT!" she added, silencing Strider. "That still doesn't mean you can just kill innocent lives! That is unforgivable. And even not knowing my father, I know that he would NEVER agree to helping you in such a twisted and maniacle plan! Only a fool would be willing to help you. Do you realize, how many innocent lives you've killed?! How many families have been either scarred or dead under your madness!? Just make it all stop! It's not too late!" Lizzie shouted. Strider, fist clenched inside the tomb, started to grind his own teeth.

"You have no right to speak to me like that Elric. No right at all! You're right! You'll never understand... no, you'll never know! You can't possibly imagine the days, the months, years!! The years we spent there! How many times we were hurt, thrown aside like we weren't even human! Like we were things! No... you'll never understand." Strider muttered over and over again now, suddenly a dark aura surrounded him. Lizzie didn't like the looks of this, and ran away from him a fair good amount.

"Oh boy..." she muttered to herself, creating her sword once again with the special jewels embedded in different places.

**"No one speaks to me like that! NO ONE!"** Strider roared, suddenly changing. The prison he was held in broke apart, the pieces flying and turning to dust as the energy he was producing was massive. His eyes glowed pure white, and two black wings suddenly sprung forth from his back. His face began turning into a snout, and teeth becoming more and more and sharp. His arms became bigger, hands turning to claws. Wings began to become more wider and bigger, expanding to new heights. His legs turning into powerful ones with deadly claws. His stomach was where his body began to grow longer, and a tail started to sprout forth. With a look of horror, there was a loud, maddening roar.

"Oh crap.." Lizzie said, wide-eyed. Before her was a dragon, 28 feet tall. She wouldn'tve felt that worried, if she didn't see his flame-lit tail. Joy, that would be.

_**"Hahahaha. Looks like you're going to die, here and now! Doesn't that make your heart just burst!?"**_ Strider laughed and laughed. Lizzie, looking up, gulped. How was she going to beat this guy now?! This would be tough. Luckily, his automail was still deformed, so that left only one front leg and two back legs. Snapping out of her thoughts, she saw the dragon raise it's claw and saw it ready to smash! Standing there with fear written on her face, all of her instincts shut down and she stood there like a statue. _'This is it.. I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die!'_ Lizzie thought, screaming inside her head. There was a loud crushing noise, and when Strider raised his claw, his face dropped with utter disgust as he looked around.

Lizzie, eyes closed, realized that she was still alive! What just happened? Looking for the source, Lizzie saw that one of her legs was wrapped tightly by a ... vine? She also noticed that she was hanging upside down, about five feet off of the ground.

"Need some help, Elric?" a voice called, and she was lowered down quickly, away from the dragon. From the hole where she had come from, Russell had dropped down with a sly smile on his face.

"Russell!" Lizzie cried, actually happy to see him.

"Thought you could use some backup." Russell said with a smartass tone. Lizzie nodded.

"Am I glad to have you here. Let's take him down together." Lizzie said with a grin.

"I can't assure you that I'll be any good to you, but I'll do my best." Russell said, he had what looked like grass colored gloves on, transmutation circles on the top.

"That's all I'll be asking for." Lizzie said with an Edward Elric grin.

_**"Looks like I'll have two meals tonight."**_ Strider said, licking his snout. Both Lizzie and Russell stared at the dragon, ready to take him down. After all, the bigger the enemy is, the harder they're going to fall.

E-N-D--O-F--C-H-A-P-T-E-R--24

Me: aren't y'all glad russell finally joined in?

Russell: why do i have to fight the dragon? Why couldn't fletcher do it..

Lizzie: Wimp

Russell: bring it on dragon!! aaarrgh! -charges at the dragon-

**Dragon: -flicks Russell with a claw-**

Me: . . . um... strider, we need him for the next chapter. anywho, please review if u find this chapter worthy.unfortunately, i'll have to update... hm, the earliest date i could update is the 20th, cuz i'm going away for vacation in canada... (oi... 4:15 am, waking up, here i come!!) lol so anyways, when i get back i'll update as soon as i can! bye everyone, until next time i update! -silver


	25. Defeat the Dragon!

A/N: ok everyone. whoo! over 100 reviews, i thank you all!! here's chapter 25! thank u all who have stuck with this story up until now. It makes me very glad. Thank you all loyal reviewers and readers, and i hope i do well with this next chapter... so yea, anyways on with chapter 25.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own FMA. simple enough

**Chapter 25: Defeat the Dragon!**

As Lizzie stood side by side with Russell, the two waited for Strider to make his move. They watched carefully as the dragon moved slowly around the dome, stomping his legs on the ground as he positioned himself. Each time his legs hit the ground, the two felt like they were going to fall. The dragon smiled, showing all of his 1000 small, sharp, teeth.

_**"Are you really thinking about trying to take me down? HAhahahahaha!! That's a laugh!"**_ Strider roared, making both Lizzie and Russell cover their ears. His voice was deafening.

"We're not gonna try! We're gonna make you fall!" Lizzie said, clapped her hands, and slapped them on the ground. There was a sudden uprooting of the ground as a huge chunk was sent like a tidal wave to the dragon.

_**"Oh come on. Can't you think of anything new?"**_ Strider asked, placing his own claw on the ground. His attack met hers, and the two clashed. There was a crash, and rock pieces were sent flying. Still, Strider continued his assault and sent out many ground spikes. Using her own alchemy, Lizzie made a shield for both of them as the stone spikes continued to crash into the rock wall. It was only a matter of time before the wall was smashed, but Lizzie remained to keep the wall up, repairing the dents already being made. Russell on the other hand, had a plan of his own. But as he began to run off, Lizzie grabbed him by the collar.

"What are you doing!? You're gonna get pierced!" Lizzie cried. Russell came back then and grinned at her.

"Trust me with this. I've got a plan." Russell said with a grin, whispering it to Lizzie. Finally, Lizzie nodded and let him go. As Russell ran out of the shield that protected them from the debris being created, he jumped up and rode on the spikes left from right, dodging all that came his path. While riding one of them that was very close to Strider, he stretched his hands in front of his body. Vines were sent forth as a multitude of them suddenly lifted from the ground as they wrapped tightly around the dragon's legs and arm.

_**"Oh come on! You really thank you can hold me down!?"**_ Strider laughed, already destroying the vines and roots that held him down. The spikes started to end though, as Strider continued to struggle with the roots that didn't stop holding him down. How many were there? If he was this distracted, then he would give the alchemists a chance to attack him! And that wasn't going to happen. _**"You've forgotten about my tail you fool!" **_Strider roared as it was swung. Without time to react, Russell was hit as he was sent flying.

"Forget about me!?" Lizzie roared as she clapped her hands and created the dragon of her own. If she could control her creation, then maybe they had a chance. Luckily, Russell was able to catch himself as he ran away from the scene to think of some other ways to hold Strider down. Running behind the shield, he started to make his own creation.

_**"Oh please. It's not like your creation can take on the real thing!"**_ Strider roared as he was ready to battle.

"Maybe so, but this time I'll become the real thing!" Lizzie cried and a part of her soul entered the dragon's body. Closing her eyes, Lizzie fell to the ground as Russell quickly retrieved her. Good, so if this plan of hers would work, Russell would be able to do a little bit of his own. There was a burst of light, and the dragon's eyes glowed a deep crimson color. It lifted its head, and roared as the many teeth were shown. The long body of the dragon slithered its way to Strider, wrapping itself around Strider's body.

_**"Is that the best you can do!?"**_ Strider shouted, but struggled to break free. The orbs that were held in the dragons fourclaws were released as the orbs floated around both of them, sending out beams that connected themselves. Now Strider and the dragon were trapped in a prism. Snarling, Strider tried to break free as he bit into the dragon's snout, making it roar in pain. The claws though sank into Strider's shoulders (his automail shoulder being scraped deeply) and backlegs, and the tail started to wrap itself around his neck. Snarling, the beast tried to choke Strider, but had no luck once Strider's claw ripped the tail off. Roaring in pain, the tail was suddenly deconstructed, and Strider grinned.

_**"You're history!"**_ Strider roared as he ripped the dragon's snout away, deconstructing more of the creation. Finally, he bodyslammed the creation until it was left in the dust. Panting a little, Strider's eyes seemed angered even more. _**"Fight me fair and square Elric! Or are you scared of losing?!"**_ Strider angrily called. Once Lizzie was back on her feet, she grimaced as she clapped her hands and created a skateboard and steel pole for herself. Next, she turned the shield into a ramp.

"Lizzie! Attack when I give you a signal!" Russell said without warning, and created more vines that were sent. Strider immediately had his legs and tail held down, and also his snout. "NOW!" Russell roared, and Lizzie immediately gave herself a powerboost as she was sent flying from the ramp into midair. With the extra boost, Lizzie was able to send the skateboard flying as it hit Strider in the eye. Rearing his head back in pain for a moment, he found himself face to face with her on his snout, and then roared in complete agony as the pole was sent straight through his snout.

_**"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGGGGGGGGGGGGGH!!!!!"**_ Strider roared in pain as Lizzie slid her way down the dragon's back and tail. Angrily, Strider broke free and started to charge at Lizzie.

"This is bad!" Lizzie cried, and as she was running away Strider managed to open his mouth slowly, and send a burst of flames her way! "OH MAN! I DIDN'T KNOW HE COULD DO THAT!" Lizzie roared angrily as she transmuted a getaway for herself. Speeding away from the flames, she then rode over to Russell on her skateboard and created a shield even more powerful than the first. In a domelike position, the flames engulfed the tiny shield.

_**"AHAHAHAA! You think a puny shield like that can defend yourself forever?! Eat my flames you fools!" **_Strider roared as he advanced, ever so slowly, lowering his head as his flames started to engulf the shield. Behind the shield, Lizzie panted for breath as Russell found beads of sweat roll down his face.

"What do we do now? In a matter of moments we'll be burned to a crisp! And now you've trapped us!!" Russell cried. Lizzie sweated for a moment, but found an idea suddenly hit her.

"Russell, do you think you can make a cannon for me? Right now, in front of here?" Lizzie asked. Russell nodded, and as he did so Lizzie dug a hole that was low, and big for Russell to fit in. She even created a tunnelway that went away from the dome so he could escape once the flames were done. Once he was done creating the cannon, he turned to Lizzie and was puzzled. "Hurry up and get in the hole. When you don't hear any flames anymore, rise up to the surface by using this." she said, handing him a drill.

"But what about you? What's your plan?" Russell asked. Clapping her hands, Lizzie made her whole body engulfed by steel.

"It may be crazy, but if I-"

"Lizzie, you fool. Steel melts against the flame!" Russell said.

"Yes, I know that. But if I don't have a steel protection I'm gonna be on fire anyways!" Lizzie answered angrily. Shoving Russell down the hole, she started to pack it up. "My plan is to take him down, and have the whole cave close in on him. You'll see. Now stay down there until I give the signal for you to rise! I'll say this: 'time for you to meet your end!' Allright? Now don't come out until I shout that!" Lizzie commanded, and without another word she put herself in the cannon.

With one breath, she launched herself and burst from the cage, giving Strider a suprise. The flames surrounded her, and she felt herself having to land on the ground and jump up so the flames wouldn't truly get rid of her steel protection. Seeing herself have the steel melt away before her, she grimaced as she stared down at the pocketwatch. It was damaged all right. She couldn't even make out the front detail anymore, and it looked like the steel was melted so that the watch could never be opened.

_**"WHAT?!"**_ he cried in disbelief as Lizzie made herself land on Strider's neck. Grabbing the back of his neck, Lizzie was pulling his head away from the dome as the flames were sent shooting upward. _**"GET OFF OF ME YOU LITTLE BRAT!"**_ Strider yelled, giving her a small rodeo buck as the flames suddenly stopped.

"You aren't getting rid of me that easily!" Lizzie roared, holding on as she brought him back over to where he was before: at the entrance.

_**"I said let me go you insignificant child!"**_ Strider angrily shouted as he made his tail give her a backlash from the scales. Groaning a little, Lizzie landed on top of his nose and without thinking she clapped her hands, and placed them on his forehead. He yelled a loud dragon shout as he felt himself being transmuted! _**"HOW DARE YOU!! HOW DARE YOUU!!!"**_ he roared in pain as he swung her off. She landed with a loud thud and looked up. Strider found half his face metalplated, while the other half was suddenly without skin, showing pink flesh.

"Oh no.." Lizzie said to herself with a groan, feeling like she was going to hurl. What had she done? She definately wasn't telling Russell to get out of his hiding place yet. The dragon snarled in a bloody tone, teeth glistening and mouth twitching.

_**"You're going to die here and now Elric! I'll make sure of it! Now, NOW I AM A TRUE MONSTER!"**_ he roared and lifted his head high. Then, he had it come crashing down so he would headbutt her hard. Getting out of the way quickly though, there was a huge smash and a long crater was made. There was a short pause, and Lizzie stared into Strider's metallic eye. The eyeball suddenly stared at her, and he lifted his head in a snakelike fashion and was ready to lunge. Watching his movements, Lizzie jumped when he struck, running up and down his neck. As she came to his wings, she transmuted in air two spikes that were sent flying. Rearing up in pain, Strider found his wings pinned to the groundwalls as he couldn't move.

"Damnit, I have to get back there!" Lizzie said angrily, realizing that she needed a cannon, and fast! Using the only idea she had, Lizzie jumped on Strider's head and held onto his ear as he tried to throw her off. Looking down, she saw that his throwing made her closer, and she jumped off away from him. Backflipping to where the cannon was, she clapped her hands quickly and created a cannonball. The only thing that made this idea flunk, was when Strider's tail came crashing down.

_**"You don't actually think I'm going to let you get away with this!"**_ he shouted angrily. _'Crud! Not good!'_ Lizzie thought, and ran away from Strider as fast as she could, but not fast enough. Strider swung his tail so quickly, it lifted Lizzie off her feet and slammed her hard into the wall. The wall crumbled a bit, and she landed on the ground with a mighty thump! Blood was dripping down her forehead, and as she got up wearily Strider wrapped his tail around her body.

"Aaauggh!!" she screamed as he started to squeeze.

_**"Hahaha! You could've been great you know! You could've had it all! If you had joined, none of this would of happened! But you're a fool, to think that you cannot join and not get away with it!"**_ he roared, grip tightening. He lowered his head to her now, the eyes staring at her madly. _**"It's not too late. You could join us now. Because then, I wouldn't have to crush you."**_ he said with a low growl. Lizzie winced once, but opened her eyes to stare at him. Only one good shot she had.

"I... would NEVER join you!" she spat and it landed right in his human eye. Bullseye! Rearing back slightly, he let her drop and she quickly reached into her pocket, and drank some of the red liquid. It was her only chance. Growling, he stared at her angrily, but then horror suddenly struck. Lizzie's face was shown in pain as she got up, sparks flying around her. Her body glowed an ominous blue color, and without thinking she placed her hands out in front of her. Spikes were being sent flying now, all at him. Trying to dodge all of them, most of them hit his body. Others hit his tail while one chipped off an ear.

_**"AAAAUGH!! STOP! STOP! I GIVE UP! I GIVE UP!" **_Strider yelled, remembering from his past how Edward had his alchemic power amplified by at least in many numbers! She would certainly kill him if she didn't snap out of this! Without listening though, Lizzie continued her onslaught as she soon found herself starting to become drenched in Strider's own blood.

"LIZZIE! SNAP OUT OF IT!" Russell called, making the girl turn. As she stared at Russell, her alchemy was still pummeling the trapped Strider. "Remember your plan! Don't let the alchemy get to you! SNAP OUT OF IT! LOOK AT WHAT YOU'RE DOING!" Russell shouted, trying to get through to her. Lizzie stared at Strider for moments until finally, she remembered her plan. Not quite out of her alchemic transe, she created a huge cannon, and had it fired above. Strider, looking up, found all the rubble start to fall... ON HIM!

_**"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!"**_ he screamed, and soon the dragon was under the debris, tail twitching until it was still. Lizzie, finally out of her transe, she found her eyes rolling to the back of her head as she was conked out.

"Lizzie! LIZZIE!" she heard someone shout before complete darkness consumed her.

About----15----Minutes----Later

Lizzie awoke to be held in Russell's arms. He smiled at her, and she got up quickly to swoon a bit before coming to her senses.

"Lizzie, you're all right. Thank God." Russell said with a short grin.

"What happened..." Lizzie wondered.

"You defeated Strider... He's somewhere under there." Russell said, pointing to the debris. Lizzie looke at the debris. They were at least 8 feet away from it all. She took a moment to have everything sink in. The last thing she remembered was... She suddenly gasped as images flashed before her of what she had done while under the alchemic transe after drinking the red liquid.. Shuddering, she closed her eyes painfully before re-opening them.

"I... I did.. all of that?" Lizzie said in disbelief. Russell nodded. "No.. NO! Damnit.. why did... how could I... Damnit all.. NO!" Lizzie screamed, punching the ground with her right fist, clenched as some of her blood plipped onto her hand.

"Lizzie, what's wrong?" Russell asked, alarmed.

"Why did I lose control like that! How could I do that?! I mean, yeah, he was a badguy but badguys don't deserve that much damage! Damnit all I even made his face become twisted and horrible! Damnit, damnit, damnit all!" Lizzie shouted, fist pounding as tears started running. Russell was by her side now, putting a hand on her back while the other gently stroked her shoulder.

"Sssh Lizzie, it's ok. You lost control, but that doesn't mean that you took down a great threat. It was either him, or every other innocent person. I understand your pain, but that doesn't mean you didn't do a good thing for others.." Russell said, trying to calm her down. Lizzie sobbed a little more before coming back to her senses. Getting up, she looked at the rubble, and then turned.

"Let's.. find a way out of here. The sooner the better." she said, starting to walk away. Russell nodded, and walked next to her. But as soon as they were 9 feet away from the rubble, there was a feeling like an earthquake was coming! Turning around, there was a whir of something black, a noise of something being torn, and then a horrible scream that filled the area.

Hagane-----no-----RenkinJutsushi!

Lizzie found herself on the ground, writhing in pain. She had never felt this kind of pain before! Never! It hurt so bad... it was like something had set her on fire, pain shooting like needles throughout her whole entire body. Russell stood in front of her, protecting her as he placed his hands on the ground. From underneath the ground there arose a huge flower that looked more like a viscious monster eating plant. As the monster-eating plant arose, it stared into the eyes of the dragon. Roaring in absolute pain, Strider found himself panting for breath as some blood ran down the side of his jaw. The only ounce of strength he had now was to stretch his neck out of the debris.

_**"There is no way.. I am letting her escape.. with that kind of alchemic power!"**_ he roared. _**"It could be a threat to all of us if used like that! The girl had no idea what she was doing!"**_ Strider screeched, talking to Russell.

"Even so! If you still have your hearing, you would have heard her shout in grief for what she had done! You heartless soul!" Russell said, gritting his teeth. It had happened so fast. No one had even seen it coming. Both Lizzie and Russell had their backs turned to the dragon, all to find out that he was still alive. The rubble burst from where his head was that shot out, and in a flash he had run by Lizzie and sunken his teeth right into her right arm. Pulling back, he had torn it right off. By now it was in the hideous beasts' stomach. If only they were 12 feet away from that monster.

_**"If you let her go just like that, and she somehow manages to drink that liquid again, she could turn on anyone! With no mind of her own in that kind of transe, she could kill thousands of people, and end up just like me!"**_ Strider said, suddenly laughing at that thought. The dragon had lost some teeth, one of them his sharper ones.

"And here I thought you were thinking of others!" Russell roared as he sent his man-eating plant to attack. As the plant did so, Russell picked Lizzie up and ran over to the other side of the cave. Watching the battle, he started to mend Lizzie's wound with the liquid. Placing some on his hands, he sealed her wound as a sizzling noise filled the air, followed by a small whimper. "Don't worry Lizzie, we'll get you out of here. We'll even find you an automail mechanic. You'll see." Russell assured her. As he watched his plant suddenly wither and die from a short burst of flame, he grimaced.

_**"When I regain my strength, you will perish underneath my strength."**_ Strider said, finally having his head hit the ground. Snapping out of his thoughts, Russell transmuted a small cannon for himself, and made an escape exit.

"Sorry, but by the time you regain your strength, we'll be already gone." he murmured. As he shot his vines up to hold onto a rock, he wrapped Lizzie tightly, and pulled both of them up. Little did they know, when they were both raised to safety, Strider's closest companions came to his rescue.

As Russell ran through the cave tunnel he had made with Lizzie in his arms, he dared not look back. They had to get out of here, and fast. "Don't worry Lizzie, we're almost out of here." he said to her.

"What made you... come after all?" Lizzie asked through grit teeth. Suprised, Russell was silent for a few minutes.

"It's... hard to say. What made me come... lots of people, and reasons, made me come." Russell said, closing his eyes, remembering. At first it was Lizzie, being so outrageous that he couldn't stand it. Then it was Mustang, and Lys. Even that though didn't make him face his fear. Though, a few minutes later, he was confronted with Victoria. Even Tom had a word with him. They were encouraging ones, and yet none of them truly reached him. Finally, Fletcher came to him.

---Flashback---

_"Brother, I can't just sit back and watch any more of this!" he had said. "You need to snap out of... of whatever transe you're in! I know you've kept blaming yourself for the accident, but that doesn't mean we should just live like ... like molepeople in our little underground house while others out there are risking it all for the sake of Xenotime!" Russell began to listen, but not once did he have eye contact with Fletcher. _

_"We need to start acting like the leaders of Xenotime! We need to start right now! I won't just sit back and watch all of this happen anymore! Elizabeth has gone to fight off the rebels, and this isn't even her town! She's doing this for our people, for us, and for the sake of many who have fallen due to this war!" he shouted. "I'm... I'm sick and tired of doing nothing. Well Brother, if you won't pick yourself up from the sewers you have fallen into, then I will go and fight for my people! For my daughter, for you, for everyone!" he said. This time, Russell shot up from his desk._

_"Fletcher. Don't you dare go out there." he had said, walking over to his little brother. Fletcher stared into his brother's eyes, and was suprised when Russell put a hand on his shoulder. "You're right. I've been... been so wrapped up in..." he trailed off. "But that doesn't mean I should push off my duties as the protector of this town! If I can't do it, then no one can..." he added._

_"Brother, does this mean that you-"_

_"Fletcher. If I don't return, then I leave this town in your hands. Mine have already become... useless and unworthy... But that doesn't mean that I can't use them to save everyone. I will do my best, and this time I won't run away." Russell said, standing. He walked over to his desk, and took out a pair of transmutation gloves. "It's time I did something right. Something that hasn't come to my mind up until now. Fletcher, thank you my brother." Russell said, and without another word rushed off to where the rebels were._

_End--of--Flashback_

Snapping out of his thoughts, Russell saw a very faint light. He smiled, and ran even faster than he had before. "Lizzie, we're getting you out of here. And thank you, for all you've done. You really are the daughter of Edward." he said with a grin. Lizzie smiled as she closed her eyes.

"Then maybe you can tell me where to find him." she said, but before he could answer she had fallen asleep, and they had reached the exit.

Outside---the---Coalmines

As Russell came outside of the coalmines, he saw before him Ren, Leo, Roy, Fletcher, and Lys. They all looked concerned enough when they saw Lizzie.

"Don't worry. She should be fine. But we had better get an automail mechanic pronto." Russell said.

"There aren't any mechanics here. Maybe you should go back to Risenbool, then come back to Central?" Mustang suggested when he looked at Lys.

"I don't know... if mom's not there anymore, then I don't know who can make the automail." Lys said, worried.

"Hm. Let's bring her to Central then. I'll call the closest automail mechanic." Mustang then said.

"Mm." Lys nodded. "Sounds like a plan. I can always fill her in with the details about what's coming up soon Colonel." she added with a grim smile. Nodding, they all returned to the Tringham mansion, gathered the Elric's things, and put the two siblings on a train to Central. The rest of the crew would be there soon, as Mustang would make the call in Xenotime. On the way back to Central, Lys had Lizzie's head on her lap as she stroked her sister's hair.

"Here that Liz? We're going to get you fixed up." Lys whispered, staring out the window. "And then, we'll get ready for the Tournament." she added, and nodded off. Little did she know, as Lizzie slept she dreamt of the Gate again... and inside she was whisked away back to her dreams of where Munich, Germany was... as well as her father. The problem was, whenever she dreamed of the events her father was going through... the more she kept forgetting them.

E-N-D--O-F--C-H-A-P-T-E-R--25

End-----of-----Xenotime-----Saga

Me: wow! Xenotime sure was a long one! longer than the Central saga, that's probably for sure! and well, this was unexpected.. but i am going to do another chapter that has Ed and Al in it, saying what's happening now on the Other Side. but it will also have a small explanation of what is to be expected of the tournament. so, tune in next week to see the second appearance of Ed and Al

Lys: hey, what's the deal with this Tournament being held in Central?

Me: you'll see. once we get to the Tournament Saga, all the reviewers who pitched in to be state alchemists will RETURN! like i promised! so, until next time. bye everyone! and please leave a review if this chapter is worthy of it. oh yeah, i will be updating hopefully on a week time basis. so i should be updating either this sunday or saturday. next week... school starts for me... TT.TT darrnnn! -Silver


	26. Finding a Way: Tournament Begins!

A/N: ok here's chapter 26. half of it has Ed and Al, and the other half has Lizzie and the gang in Central with the tournament. i hope u all like it... and i hope u review if u feel this chapter worthy of it. in any case, let's continue! arigatou everyone for keeping up with this story. i'm very glad u've stuck with me up until now :)

**Disclaimer:** Don't own FMA

**Chapter 26: Finding a Way; Tournament Begins!**

_"Well now, Mr. Elric and Mr. Al, shall we get started?" Eliza said, planting herself down on a seat. Ed and Al quickly followed, and listened carefully to what Eliza was telling them. She would explain everything to them, and in doing so they would be one step closer in finding out how to get home. All throughout Eliza's careful explanations, Ed kept thinking in his mind, 'Finally.. Winry. I'll get to see you, soon.' As he thought this, Ed's smile could be seen growing bigger, and wider, until he couldn't grin anymore than he already was. This was a true miracle for him._

Hagane-----no-----RenkinJutsushi!

It had been about a few days since Eliza had started to work with Ed and Al on how to figure out a way to getting to the Other Side. Mostly though, Eliza had been spending time with Ed since he had gotten fired.

"So you've been saying to us that in order to reach the Other Side, we need to somehow have a good connection with the parallel world.. Well, I understand that, but how do we do it?" Ed asked as he sipped some coffee. Eliza was looking over her book, and writing down some theories of how she could possibly be able to find a way to the other world.

"Well Mr. Elric, if-"

"Please, call me Ed." Ed interrupted with a grin on his face.

". . . Right. How silly of me. Well Edward, if there is supposed to be a parallel world, then I have this theory that if we can connect with our "other selves" then we would have a... a kind of, psychic connection. I believe that on the Other Sider, there is a person who is parallel to me in looks and personality." Eliza explained.

"True... I remember that when I was on this side, a boy named Alfons Heiderich was my brother's look-a-like." Ed said, sitting down next to her.

"But, if this Alfons Heiderich person is your brother's look-a-like, then why is your brother here? And where would this Alfons be? And also, are you telling me that you came over from the Other Side?!" Eliza suddenly questioned.

"Yes. I am actually from the Other Side. And so is my brother. Alfons Heiderich died about 18 years ago." Ed said solemnly. Eliza was silent for a moment, and inhaled deeply.

"I'm sorry for your loss.. So I'm assuming then, that the Edward Elric on this side died as well?" Eliza asked.

"Yes. And that was, my fault to be honest." Ed admitted.

"I see. Well Edward, I understand what it's like to lose a loved one." Eliza said calmly, reading over her book once again. Even she did not have any clue as to how or why she was able to come up with a book like this on her own. Even she couldn't explain how she was able to put these thoughts down on paper, especially when it was a very crazy situation and topic.

"Oh? Would you, mind if I asked who?" Ed questioned.

"My sister, Allison. She died of an illness that couldn't be cured. It so happened that it had befallen our mother a few months before. I didn't even stop to think that maybe it ran through our bloodstream as well... that is, until it was too late." Eliza answered. Ed was silent. This girl, she lost both her sister and her mother.. and at such a young age.

"I know what that's like.. to lose a mother. I lost my mother when I was just a boy. A few years younger than you." Ed said, a small chuckle escaped his lips. "Yes... she was the most beautiful mother I had... No one could ever replace her. Something about her made my brother and I feel like.. like we could accomplish so much. She was so kind..." Ed continued, suddenly feeling his eyes water for a moment. "God... I sure do miss her." Ed said and wiped the small droplet away. There was a short silence before Eliza decided to speak.

"I'm.. sorry for your loss, Edward." she said, placing a hand on his fake one. Ed looked from her, to his hand, and smiled.

"Thank you. And, I too, am sorry for your loss." Ed said, putting his own hand on top of hers. The two smiled, and Ed felt a warm feeling begin to take place. Was it the fact that Eliza looked so much like Winry? Or maybe, this was a feeling that only could be explained later in future? There was another short silence until Alphonse burst through the door.

"Brother! Brother! Come quickly!" Al said, and the two followed Al down to where a commotion was starting.

-----Outside-----

"What's going on Al?" Ed asked in alarm, and then saw. He couldn't believe this. There was a huge mob outside, and they all were screaming while they held up Eliza's published book. Ed looked around and saw that Officer Hughes and the other officers were trying to hold the crowd while a familiar man walked over to Ed.

"Edward, we need to talk." the man said.

"Fritz!" Ed said, amazed. Fritz Lang was standing before him, a look of seriousness planted. Fritz looked from Ed, to Eliza. Then, he grabbed Ed by the hand and led him away from the scene. Al and Eliza were left to talk to Officer Hughes, or at least, try to over the loudness of the crowd.

oooooOOooOOoooOOOooOooo ---

As Ed and Fritz discussed things at a nearby teashop, Ed was outraged. So the people were still at it with the book? What was worse, everyone wanted to sue the girl for writing such fantasies. Now that was going too far, it was outrageous! Then again, she did illegally publish the book. Eliza had told Ed herself. Still, that didn't mean there should be a huge crowd shouting and screaming over one book.

"What's with the mobscene Fritz? I haven't seen you in a very long time." Ed said to him. Fritz practically threw the book down on the table.

"People talk, Edward. And right now, what I've heard isn't good. That child who wrote this, this nonsense should be arrested immediately." Fritz said.

"What?! You're crazy! It's a book, why is it _that_ bad?! Nonetheless, written by a 16 year-old!" Ed practically yelled.

"Why? Do you think that she doesn't talk nonsense? Edward, another world? A parallel world nonetheless? Would you really think people would believe that somewhere there lies a universe parallel to ours? Do you really think that they would take this seriously?" Fritz said.

"Well I-"

"And even if some people believe this silly book, it becomes more like the government has something to hide from us! Which means that there could be danger lurking. There could be anything coming our way! Such talk of how, how there is a thing called Alchemy... Alchemy is just a myth! Nothing more than a fantasy! Science is what we have, and that's all we will ever need! And when I said that people talk, they talk! Why, I've been hearing a lot of things from them Edward, and all of it I agree with. When people talk, it spreads until suddenly the whole thing becomes like a mobscene! Just like this one. Some people are outraged. Others are scared. How can there be a person who's just like them in another world? Come now Edward, use some common sense!" Fritz said angrily.

"Fritz, you may not believe in all of this... but I believe that.. that Eliza is on to something! And I will not have anybody arresting her." Ed said, starting to lose his patience.

"Edward, I'm afraid that's not for you to decide." Fritz said, getting up.

"Oh really?" Ed challenged.

"Yes, really." Fritz answered sharply, putting on his hat. He then started to walk away. "Edward, if it will interest you... there's a film I am working on. I'd love to have you in it." he said calmly.

"You have **got**to be kidding me." Ed spat. Fritz turned, a puzzled look on his face. "You come here, telling me that this girl's book is a load of crap saying that people have been _talking_, you tell me that she can be put under arrest, you tell me that I can't do anything about it, and then you suddenly have this thing about you shooting a movie pop up! Wanting me to star in it? For all we know, I'm already in a movie." Ed answered with a growl.

"Very well. It's your decision." Fritz said, finally walking off. Ed, fist shaking, turned to where Al and Eliza were. Reaching back to the scene, he saw Eliza in a car while Officer Hughes was being yelled at by Al.

"What's going on?!" Ed asked, running to the scene.

"Brother, Officer Hughes wants to arrest Eliza!" Al cried.

"What?! Hughes, you can't be serious!" Ed said, alarmed.

"Sorry Edward, but we're on government orders... You can always visit her in jail..." Hughes tried to say with a smile.

"But Hughes, you don't understand!" Ed tried to protest.

"Sorry Ed, but orders are orders. And we officers have to follow the higher ups." Hughes said, put his cap back on, and got into the car. Eliza looked out the window of the car with a smile on her face.

"Edward, the only way for this to work is if we have someone from your world activate the Gate's circle at the same moment or time that we do over here. The only problem is, how to get ahold of someone from your world if the Gate has been sealed, all this time." Eliza said.

"Don't worry Eliza... we'll figure out a way." Ed said.

"Well Edward, until then... keep in touch. I'm sure this will somehow work out.. Like the officer said, you can always visit me in jail." Eliza said grimly, and soon the car drove away. Ed watched as it went, the mobscene following it down the road. His teeth were grinding back and forth, while his fist was clenched and shaky.

"Brother... what do we do now?" Al asked. Ed, shoulders still shaking, smirked.

"We break her out." he answered simply.

Hagane---no---Renkinjutsushi!

Around twelve o'clock, Ed and Al snuck out of the apartment building and tiptoed as quietly as they walked down the quiet streets of Munich. Al had a frown on his face while Ed carried a pocketknife in his hand.

"Brother, I think I'm beginning to have second thoughts about this." Al said.

"Look Al, you can go back to the room. I'm going to do this wether you like it or not." Ed replied. Al sighed.

"How do you think you're going to break her out? And if we do that and people find out it was us, what do we do!? Really Ed you need to think things through!" Al said angrily. Ed grinned.

"I have it all figured out Al! Look, we get Eliza out of there, come back to the apartment, gather our stuff and flee!" Ed said. Al's mouth dropped and he stopped walking.

"That's your plan!??!" he cried.

"SSssh Al! Do you _want_ people hearing you?!" Ed whispered angrily. Al muttered as the two brothers continued walking to the prison gates.

Prison----Gates

"Al, give me a lift." Ed whispered, and Al threw Ed over the wall. Al came next after climbing up and dropping over, falling ontop of Ed.

"Sorry Brother!" Al apologized, and the two continued their hunt. As they crossed through the area without being seen, they had to figure out a way to find out where Eliza's cell was. It was going to be tough, but if Ed and Al were to succeed, they looked into every window they could reach. After searching for about 20 minutes, it seemed hopeless when a small pebble hit the back of Ed's head.

"Shorty! Turn around!" a quiet voice called. Ed quickly turned, angrily scoffing as a vein popped.

"Who dare call me short?!" Ed whispered in outrage, but then stopped when he saw Eliza looking out her prison window.

"Sorry Mr. Edward, but I felt that was the only way to get your attention." Eliza apologized once Ed and Al came over to her.

"We'll get you out Eliza. Just sit tight." Ed said, pocketknife starting to cut at the iron bars. "Al, you be on lookout." Ed added, and Al quickly turned to make sure that no one would see their breakout.

A-Few-Minutes-Later

"There!" Ed finally said with a long sigh. It took about fourty minutes for Ed to break all of the bars quietly, and extended his hand for Eliza to take. Al was still on lookout, and when Eliza had started crawling through the window, everything seemed perfect. Until-...

"SECURITY! PRISON BREAK! SECTOR 2, CELL 28!" a guard cried, lights suddenly turned onto Ed, Al, and Eliza. With a force, Ed dragged her out quickly, and the three started running at a very fast pace.

"Now what do we do Ed!?" Al cried, panting as they all ran. Looking behind, Ed saw a line of guards chasing after them.

"We keep running! We're faster than them, we can outrun them! Let's hurry to the wall!" Ed answered, and quickly they went over and continued to run. The guards opened the doors, and still they chased after them. As the three saw the guard still on their tails, Eliza had an idea.

"Quickly, Edward, Alphonse, this way!" Eliza said and the three took a detour through a forest. They had the guards continue to follow them until the three hid behind some trees, hearing the angry crowd of men rush past. After a few moments, the three let down their guard, panting for breath.

"Good work Eliza." Ed said, breathing heavily.

"Edward, Alphonse, did you happen to show your faces to the others?" Eliza asked.

"No. I don't think they saw our faces." Al answered and Eliza sighed with relief.

"Good. We must hurry back to your apartment before they know where we're going. And I think it would be best if we went to a different town that does not know of an Edward, an Alphonse, and of course, an Eliza..." she continued, and the brothers nodded. With a sneaky exit, the three headed off back to the apartment at breakneck speed.

The---Apartment

Bursting through the door, Ed saw that he had spooked Noah somewhat. With no time to explain, Ed and Al grabbed their suitcases and filled them with clothes and other things. Eliza, after closing the door, was busy explaining things to Noah. The quicker they got their things, the faster they were ready to leave.

"I've got everything. Let's go Brother." Al said, opening the door. He gasped though when in front of him was Officer Hughes. "H-Hughes!" Al exclaimed, making everyone turn. Without another word, Hughes took a step in.

"I thought I might find you all here." he said, looking from Al, to Eliza, to Ed. "Ed, it's time you hand over the girl. Why is it that you had to be the one, of _all_ people, to try and make the whole town go upside down?" Hughes said with a sigh.

"Officer Hughes.. you don't understand." Ed said.

"Don't understand? What I don't understand is why you're going against the government. I don't understand why you would even think of doing such a reckless stunt like this. I'm very disappointed in both of you, and this is my job. I won't let you out of here. I can't allow it." Hughes said.

"Listen, Hughes... Please, let us go." Ed pleaded. Hughes didn't answer. "Officer Hughes.. the reason why we did this was because... because-"

"What reason would you have to make me actually be persuaded Ed?" Hughes asked. Ed frowned, sucked in some air, and finally came clean.

"It's because we aren't from this world." he answered simply, making Hughes have his mouth drop a little.

"Oh for the love of-... You _can't_ be serious." he said, but the stare in Ed's eyes said it all. He was telling the truth. Hughes sighed, and put a hand behind his neck as he looked up off to the side. "I can't believe I'm saying this but... get outta here. Before I change my mind." Hughes said, making Ed's face light up.

"Thank you Hughes!" Ed said, rushing out the door.

"We won't forget you Hughes!" Al added, chasing after Ed with Noah following quickly. Eliza rushed over too, but stopped when she was side by side with Hughes.

"It's true, you know. There is a parallel world, and we are half of the world that has the fantasized Alchemy. I can only imagine what it would be like if our world and the one parallel to ours would be if they were together... Thank you, Maes Hughes." Eliza said, and then quickly she ran down the steps. Hughes turned then, watching her go.

"Parallel world? I'll believe it when I see it." he said with a sigh. Walking out the door, he turned to the now silent and empty room. "Guess I won't be visiting here anymore." he said, and closed the door.

As Ed, Al, Eliza, and Noah continued running to a different town, Ed kept the thought close in his mind. He needed to find someone on the other side who could do what everyone had been waiting for. Now that the two brothers knew what Eliza said was true, they needed to figure out a way how to contact an alchemist on the Other Side that knew about the transmutation circle to summon the Gate... And Ed had a good idea of who to contact, too. He just had to figure out a way.

"Mustang."

The---Dream

_Lizzie found herself opening her eyes as she stared at the shadowy figure staring at her. She tried to speak, but found that her voice was unable to be heard. The shadow looked at her, then paced back and forth._

_"Could you explain to me how a girl like you could be connected to this Gate?" shadow had asked her._

_"You tell me." she responded, finding courage in her voice. She tried remembering her dream. It was so vague.. Images of her father popped up, as did her uncle... and this girl, Eliza was it? And Hughes... and a woman who looked just like Aunt Rose. Lizzie couldn't explain the dreams she was having. Most of the time, she kept forgetting to mention them. Other times, it was like they haunted her._

_"It's hard to say. But, however you are able to connect yourself from this world to the other, is beyond me. It would be best if you wouldn't meddle in these kind of things, hm?" shadow answered._

_"And what the hell is that supposed to mean!?" Lizzie shouted angrily. The shadow growled, and suddenly Lizzie found herself in the center of a pitch black room with two worlds floating._

_"Look. You belong there." the shadow said, pointing to the world on her right._

_"What about the left?" Lizzie asked._

_"You don't belong there. This is how things must be. Either accept it, or face the concequences." the shaodow responded, and suddenly a bright flash appeared in front of the girl. _

_"Consequences, what consequences!?"_

_-ooooOOOooooOOOoooOOOooo-_

Gasping for breath, Lizzie shot up from her bed. Beads of sweat rolled down her face, and she looked up to see a blank colored ceiling. Mouth opening wide a little bit, she looked from side to side. Slowly trying to recollecting her thoughts, she gasped in suprise once she realized that she only had one arm! She was about to scream when it all suddenly came back to her. Frowning, she remembered the fight with Strider. Making a fist in her left, she heard a door creak open. Looking up, she saw Mustang.

"Colonel..." Lizzie said.

"Glad to see you're awake." he said, taking a chair and placing it by the bed. "Just in time, too. I was afraid you were going to miss out on the fun." Mustang said.

"What.. happened? Xenotime!" Lizzie started.

"Xenotime is in good hands. You and Lys were put on a train to make it back to Central, while I made a call to Riza who called an automail mechanic. I'm assuming you'll want automail, yes?" Mustang asked.

"Automail..." Lizzie repeated, looking down for a moment. "What about the Re-"

"They're gone. No clue where they went, but they're not coming back any time soon. I don't know what you did to them, but when I got to the scene Ren was unharmed and untied from her prison of ropes. Thanks to you, she's alive. Xenotime is repairing itself, slowly. Russell and Fletcher are doing everything they can." Mustang explained. Lizzie smiled a little.

"Good to hear..." Lizzie said, and then suddenly a sudden flash appeared before her. A girl being taken away in a car... a man with an angry look on his face. A mob yelling and screaming. "Ugh.." Lizzie muttered.

"Major? What's wrong?" Mustang asked. Lizzie didn't hear him, a voice had entered her mind. _'The Gate... circle... activated... same time... your world... Gate sealed...'_ "Elizabeth?" Mustang asked again, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. Coming out of it, Lizzie looked up.

"Ah, it's nothing... N-now what was this... _thing_ you said that you were afraid I'd be missing out?" Lizzie asked quickly. Mustang smirked.

"The annual Central Tournament. And I expect you'll be entering." he said in a tone of 'when-I-say-expect-I-mean-you-will-be-entering-wether-you-like-it-or-not'. Lizzie felt her mouth drop.

"You gotta be kidding me." Lizzie said, eye twitching.

"Nope. It starts tommorow. That's why the automail mechanic is here today." Mustang said, getting up. Lizzie got out of bed, and followed. As Lizzie continued to follow Mustang, he explained as they went. "Unfortunately, the only automail mechanics that were closeby were the ones in Rush Valley." he said.

"R-rush Valley?" Lizzie replied.

"Mmhm. Lizzie," Mustang said, reaching a door. When it opened, she looked inside to see a man wearing a bandana over his head with glasses on. "I want you to meet Ridel Lecourt. Son of Dominic Lecourt." Mustang said.

"Oh stop, really. Thanks for the good introduction." Ridel said, waving his hand up and down while his eyes were narrowed with a smile on his face.

"Dominic Lecourt? Is he supposed to be famous?" Lizzie asked.

"Well, my father did take your mother as an apprentice in automail engineering." Ridel said, scratching the back of his head.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAT!? Are you serious?! THEN HE MUST BE A LEGEND! A GOD OF AUTOMAIL!" Lizzie spazzed.

"Oh, a god? Don't give him that much credit, hahaha." Ridel said.

"OH BUT I SHOULD! MY MOM'S AUTOMAIL IS THE BEST THERE EVER WILL BE!" Lizzie said again. Ridel laughed.

"Please, really. Thanks for the compliments. Now then, are you ready to get your automail?" Ridel asked. Lizzie's face turned to nervousness and fear, but kept it a little stern at the least.

"Well... I've heard that the operation is really painful... To be honest, I'm a little scared." Lizzie admitted, sweatdropping.

"It's all right. I assure you, once the operation is done then you'll be fine." Ridel said, taking out a suitcase. Looking inside, Lizzie and Mustang saw the automail sprawled before them. "It's a lighter version of the original. To be honest, your mom made this especially for you when she heard what happened." Ridel explained, holding it up.

"Mom... made that? So, she's in Rush Valley?!" Lizzie asked.

"Yup. Staying with me, Paninya, Satera, and our son, Dominick." Ridel said.

"She's not going anywhere else now, is she?" Lizzie asked.

"No. She's going to wait for you and your sister to stop by. At least, that's the plan for now." Ridel said with a grin. Lizzie's face lit up even brighter, and she looked to see the stretcher laid out for her operation. Quickly, she ran over to it and jumped on.

"I'm ready. I'm going to wear my mother's automail proudly." Lizzie said with a grin, and Ridel nodded while Mustang walked outside.

"Major, once the operation is successful, come by to my office and I'll explain the tournament." he said, and closed the door. Lizzie took a deep breath, and watched as Ridel was ready to begin.

A---Few---Hours---Later

Once Lizzie found her strength finally returning, she walked outside the operation room doors and into the bedroom. Sighing, she looked at her automail. It sparkled a little, giving off a small gleam. Making sure everything worked, she moved her fingers, curling them into a fist. Next, she moved her wrist, then her elbow, and then her shoulder. Hm. It seemed that everything was working. Walking over to the bed, she saw the suitcase and put on the clothes that felt much more comfortable than what she was in now. Putting on her black tanktop and black pants _and_ black elevator boots, she topped it off with the red coat and put her hair in a high ponytail.

Frowning, she retrieved her pocketwatch and stared at it. How could she let this happen? It was ruined... and it belonged to her father, and was very precious to her mother... What would Winry say when she found out the watch she loved so much was destroyed, all thanks to her own daughter? Sighing, Lizzie put the pocketwatch necklace over her, and walked out the front doors to the hallway. But once she made it, she was tackled by Lys.

"LIZZIE! I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE ALL RIGHT!" Lys shouted, hugging her sister for dear life.

"Lys! You... gave me a suprise!" Lizzie said, then looking around. No way... Surrounding her was Akita, Is, Rose, Hannah, Ren, Gracia, and Leo. Getting up after Lys got off of her, she grinned: BIG. "Akita! Is! Rose! Ren! Leo! Gracia!" she exclaimed. "Hannah." she said after, eyebrow raised and eyes narrowed. Everyone sweatdrop grinned as Hannah scoffed herself.

"We heard what happened! Are you all right Liz?" Akita asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine now." Lizzie answered with a grin, using her metal hand to rub the back of her head. It felt so weird... but she'd get used to it.

"Lizzie, I'm so glad you're all right." Leo said, a grin planted on his face. Lizzie nodded with a grin, but was startled when Leo came over to her. He gripped her shoulders for a moment and brought her close to his chest as he gave her a peck on the forehead, and then a kiss on the lips. Suprised for a moment, Lizzie found herself finally relax her shoulders as she invited his kiss. It took about a few seconds before you heard an, "ahem", made by Akita who had a eyebrow raised with a sly smile planted. Instantly Lizzie pushed Leo away, but flustered quite a bit.

"Well, well, well. It looks like _someone's _got a boyfriieennnd." Akita chanted. Rose snickered, Gracia and Ren contained a laugh, Lys tried to contain her excitement but utterly failed, and Is smiled. Hannah seemed to look off to the side, hiding a smile. Without warning, Leo wrapped his arms around Lizzie's shoulders.

"What's wrong Liz? Thought you liked me." Leo smirked, using a pouting tone. Lizzie looked up to see Leo's eyes staring into hers, and she laughed.

"You know I do." she answered, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Quick, somebody better get some popcorn, and get them a room." Akita teased, having Lizzie shove her gently.

"Oh hush. If you're going to tease me then you might as well get it over with." Lizzie said with a laugh.

"Hmmm. Ok. Lizzie and Leo sittin in a tree!" Akita started.

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Rose, Gracia, Ren, and Lys joined in. Lizzie and Leo rolled their eyes. After a few more teasings from Akita, Ren walked a step foward to Lizzie and smiled.

"Thanks for saving me back there." Ren said. Lizzie blushed, nodding in a 'you're welcome', and then looked at Is and Rose.

"Glad to see you're safe. You gotta spill! How did it feel when fighting against a huge dragon?!" Rose asked. Is simply stared, like her eyes went straight through Lizzie. They were glowing their ominous violet color, as if reaching into something that no one else realized was there..

"It was... pretty intense." Lizzie laughed, and then looked around. "Uh,... Where's Lunaros?" Lizzie asked.

"She's off with her new boyfriend, Havoc." Gracia said.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAT!?" Lizzie cried, and everyone laughed around her, unphased by the news. Hannah walked over to Lizzie, and took her automail hand. The two stared hard at eachother before Hannah let go and had her back turn.

"Well, glad you made it to fight in the Tournament." she said, and walked off. Everyone was silent for a moment, until the chatting resumed. Everyone kept talking until more and more had to leave. Finally, Akita, Rose, Lizzie, and Lys were the ones left to chat.

"So Akita, Rose. Tell us who your missions went." Lizzie said.

"I'll go first!" Akita volunteered, and everyone nodded with a smile for her to start. "Well, you all know we were to investigate on Youswell and the mysterious purple and green colored coal." she started, making an eery voice as she went. "It started out normal. We got to the coalmines, and saw nothing. But once we got into it deeper, there was a sudden glow! We looked to see coal green and purple colored! It was pretty strange, so we started to take some samples back. But suddenly, we were attacked by these weird looking shadows! They all attacked us at once, I didn't know where they came from! Luckily, Hannah and Lunaros had my back, and we all transmuted the coal into a burst of energy!"

"Whoa..." Everyone said.

"When the light faded after the sudden burst, the creatures were gone! So was the coal, and I think that was the reason why they were appearing!" Akita said.

"Sounds spoooky." Lys said, and they all nodded. After a few seconds, they all turned to Rose.

"Ok. Now this is interesting... Is and I were to go to Winstown right? Well, we went to Winstown and what did we find? No one! Not a villager in site... It was like they were suddenly abducted! So, we had a look around town, and the only lead we got was a stuffed bear left behind. All Is had to do was touch it, and suddenly she froze in her spot. I tell ya, it freaked me out. She didn't answer me for the next few minutes! Talk about freaky... And when she did, She didn't explain to me what had happened... but if it weren't for her we wouldn'tve found the hostages. It turns out the town was abducted for the source for gold and silver it had. But you know, I believe that it was more than just gold and silver... and I don't think that the people were really hostages. I feel that something more happened there, but we came back before we could really investigate." Rose said, and everyone had their jaw drop.

"Wooooooooooooooow! Amazing!" they all said, and Rose nodded. Little did she know, Is was around the corner, listening into the conversation. Her eyes, distant as they stared at the blank wall, closed. _'If only they knew what dangerous power I have.. If only they knew.'_ she thought, and walked away. She didn't realize it, but she dropped her puppet, and on its own it got up on its two feet and walked side by side with the girl.

"Don't worry. In time they will see." the cat said as Is and the puppet walked out of site down the dark hallway. A few moments passed before Lys spoke up.

"Sis, weren't you supposed to meet Colonel Mustang after you recovered from the operation?" Lys asked.

"Aw crap you're right!" Lizzie said, and started to run off. "I'll talk to you guys later!" Lizzie added as she ran.

Fuhrers-----Office

As Lizzie burst through the doors, she saw Mustang looking out the window. He turned then to her, a smirk was planted on his face. She panted still, and found herself frowning.

"Glad you could make it." he said.

"Right... Sir. Now, explain to me the rules about this, tournament.." Lizzie said.

"I will. Tommorow." he said. Lizzie felt her eyes bulge.

"What." she said.

"Thanks for coming, it will all be explained tommorow." he said, a smile on his face. Lizzie suddenly had a huge thought bubble above her, showing her murdering the Fuhrer with a huge wrench in her hand as she whacked him over and over again. Mustang seemed to sweatdrop, and Lizzie left while slamming the door behind her.

The---Next---Day

Today was the day of the tournament. Every alchemist came, well... the ones who had passed the alchemy exam earlier and some alchemists who were from the military. Entering the ring, the girls got themselves lined up.

"Welcome everyone to the annual Alchemist Tournament!" Mustang said, making the crowd roar in cheers. "Now I'm sure all of you need to hear the rules before we get started! The following rules: 1) Fight fairly, just not to the death! If I see a fight become a deathmatch, I will disqualify you! 2) You will be disqualified if I see any type of cheating! You may use alchemy, just no other method of winning! 3) Before we begin you must pass the first test! Then we move on to the fight!" he said.

"Wait, pass the first test?" Lizzie whispered.

"And that is! To make up your own catchy theme song!" he announced. Almost everyone in the middle center grew silent. Crickets could be heard. Mustang cleared his throat, and continued. "For example! It's simple really, just make up a theme song for yourself!" he said, taking out a piece of paper. "Listen to this!" he said, clearing his throat again as a barratone voice that was... really bad, filled the air. (As following: Taken from FMA manga volume 12)

_Snap snap snap snap my fingers_

_Snap snap snap snap my fingers_

_Who's the man that's gonna be president of all the land? The Flame Alchemist._

_Who's that hot dude, standing in front of the mirror, snapping his fingers_

_striking a pose?_

_Uh-uh. That's me. The Flame Alchemist._

_You know who I am. I'm Roy Mustang! (Then that's all right.)_

_I'm a colonel, baby. And this colonel's about to pop! (You mean "kernel"?)_

As Mustang finished with the sudden microphone in his hand, he grinned. Everyone was silent, their eyes widened in fear. Lizzie turned to Ren, a shocked look on her face.

"Please tell me your father is joking." she said.

"Not a joke Major Silversteel! You have... 30 minutes to come up with a song! It's not that hard, really! And if you don't have a song ready, you're disqualified!" he said, throwing 8 pieces of paper and 8 sharp pencils. Great, just great! How was Lizzie and the others supposed to come up with a catchy and lame theme song!? This was all the Fuhrer's fault! The thought bubble of Lizzie's murder plan for the Colonel popped into her head again, but she quickly wiped it away when he shouted, "Your 30 minutes start, NOW!"

E-N-D--O-F-C-H-A-P-T-E-R--26

Me: ... -sweatdrops- i can probably say that all the characters hate me by now

Mob Scene of Alchemists: A SONG!? WHY A SONG!

Me: well... i got the idea from ukyouchrono :) and well, i decided to go with it

Alchemists: OI...

Me: um... anyways! everyone, i will say now that the next chapter will be the songs, the matchups, and the start of the tournament with (hopefully) a good packed fight! until next week.. byebyez! please leave a review if u feel this chapter worthy of one :)


	27. The First Test! SS vs GS!

AN: ok here is chapter 27! again, half is songs and half is the first round! also, this saga will be 6 chapters. Each chapter will be the one on one fights the alchemists have (besides the one that will be shown today in this chapter). well, enjoy this fun and goofy chapter and if u choose to, leave a review please! arigatou! -Silver

**Disclaimer:** Don't own FMA

**Chapter 27: The First Test! SS vs GS!**

As the 8 alchemists scrambled, grabbing the pencils and paper, they all spread out and tried thinking of lyrics for their song. _'Ok Elric. Now think... What was Mustang's catchy song again? Oh, bother. Why am I thinking about HIS song when I should be worrying about mine!?'_ Lizzie thought to herself. Thinking, she looked around and saw that most of the others were starting to write. Great, she was having writer's block. How many minutes had gone by? She only looked up once to see Mustang stare back at her.

"You still have 15 minutes, Elric." his voice boomed. 15 minutes!? He couldn't be serious! _'Write Elric write! WRITE SOMETHING! ANYTHING!'_ Lizzie thought, sweatdrops flying. How could 15 minutes fly by!? Looking around again, she saw everyone done, while she was still on the ground thinking of words to write! Talk about bad timing... Suddenly, it hit her. Just like that, Lizzie started to write down some words, and soon found herself getting a catchy song.

"TIME'S UP! WHO'S GOING TO START?" Mustang shouted through the megaphone, making everyone cover their ears. Ren immediately raised her hand and went up to the microphone. Her song went like this:

_Snap snap snap my fingers_

_snap snap snap my fingers_

_Who's the gal that's gonna be ruler of all the world?_

_The FlamingInferno alchemist!_

_Who's that hott chick standing in front of the paparazi,_

_modeling for them all?_

_Uh-huh, you got it. The amazing FlamingInferno alchemist!_

_That's right! I'm Major, hun. And this Major is sizzlin'. (Burrrnn...Sssszt)_

Everyone was silent. "WHO'S NEXT?" Mustang's voice boomed again. There was no response from the alchemists until Lizzie went up. _'Let's get this over with.'_ she said, gulping. Ren actually had a very good soprano voice. Lizzie would barely manage with an alto range. Getting up to the mic, she felt like the Furher did this only to make fun of the alchemists, and give them backbone. Her song went like this:

_Clap clap clap my hands_

_clap clap clap my hands_

_Who's the girl that's gonna find (and beat up) her father? _

_The Silversteel alchemist!_

_Who's that cool babe with her silver watch gleaming?_

_Oh yeah, uh-huh. The Striking Silversteel alchemist!_

_That's right! I'm Major, and don't forget it!_

_And this Elric is a sparkling beauty. (gleam gleam)_

There was a small murmur running through the crowd, until Mustang coughed and asked for the next participant. "I WOULD LIKE TO ADVISE YOU THAT IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO SING YOUR SONG, YOU ARE DISQUALIFIED!" Mustang boomed again, having Lizzie throw the megaphone in the dumpster. With some courage, Lys was up and now sang her song. It went like this:

_Slap slap slap my hands_

_slap slap slap my hands_

_Who's the lil lady that's gonna psych you up?_

_The Psywave alchemist!_

_Who's that mesmerizing lady walkin' down the street?_

_You got it! Right on the dot! The psychic Psywave Alchemist!_

_That's right! I'm Major all you alchemists,_

_and this lil lady is dazzling! (dazzle dazzle)_

When Lys walked off the stage, Mustang nodded his head with a satisfied look with a small shrug. He simply moved a finger signaling someone to go next. Now that his megaphone was gone, he felt like he shouldn't be shouting. Hannah was up next, and her song went like this:

_Crack crack crack my knuckles_

_crack crack crack my knuckles_

_Who's that chic that's gonna beat you up (if you call her short)?_

_The GoldenSprout alchemist!_

_Who's that amazing gal growin' to be 5'8"?_

_That's right! Oh yeah! The "tall" GoldenSprout alchemist!_

_That's right! I'm Major, all you little-er people out there!_

_And this gal is a glow! (gleam gleam)_

As Lizzie watched Hannah walk off stage and give her a look, Lizzie couldn't help but think, _'How can she crack her knuckles if she has automail?'_ Without another word being said, it was Lunaros who went next. Lizzie wondered what Lunaros's song would be like, since she didn't get a chance to talk to her earlier. Lunaros's song went like this:

_Slap slap slap my cards_

_slap slap slap my cards_

_Who's that lady that's gonna rock your world?_

_The SuprisingStrike alchemist!_

_Who's that striking gal standing suddenly behind you,_

_ready for you to turn so I can shout, "BOO!"?_

_Oh yeah, that's right. The shocking SuprisingStrike Alchemist!_

_That's right! I'm Majoy y'all. And this Major is full of suprises! (SUPRISE!)_

Lizzie smiled. Lunaros had a very good voice, both in high and low range. It made a good melody, and made Lizzie giggle at how creative everyone was with their songs. No matter how lame this test was, she had to admit it was pretty fun and neat. Maybe that was his plan all along. Then again, this _was_ Fuhrer Roy Mustang she was talking about. Suddenly snapping out of it, she saw Rose get up onto the stage and begin her song which went like this:

_Twirl twirl twirl my arrow_

_twirl twirl twirl my arrow_

_Who's that girl that's gonna hit that target?_

_The Midnight alchemist!_

_Who's that girl aiming her arrow at her lover (like cupid does)?_

_Right on the dot! The mysterious Midnight alchemist!_

_That's right, I'm Major peeps! And this Major always hits the mark! (OHH YEAAH)_

Grinning, Rose had a great voice. A good alto voice, that was a definate. Lizzie started to wonder who would be next. There were only two alchemists left. It was either Akita, or Is. Without hesitation, Lizzie watched Akita speed her way up to the stage, grinning widely. She took the mic, and began her song. Talk about confidence, and stage presence! Akita's song went like this:

_Tip tip tip my toes_

_tip tip tip my toes_

_Who's the girl that's gonna give you somethin to scream about?_

_The ShadowSpirit alchemist!_

_Who's the astonishing gal that'sll let your spirit soar?_

_The Shadowspirit alchemist, most __definately!!_

_That's right, I'm Major you __soul__-o losers (kidding!)_

_And this Major will send your soal packing because of my awesome wrath!_

_(Awesome, Wrath)_

Lizzie could tell some of the people in the crowd were sweatdropping, while others were pretty amazed at the good voice Akita had. Man, Lizzie wished she had some talent in the singing department. Sighing, she watched Is get up on stage with the mic in front of her. Without any beat at all, Is simply sang her song in a monotoned voice. It went like this:

_Who's the psychic that's gonna predict your future?_

_The Snowfrostseer of course._

_Who's the fantastic girl that will give you a whirl?_

_The Snowfrostseer of course._

_That's right. I'm Major everyone._

_And this Major will send chills down your spine (chills!)_

There was a very short silence, everyone staring with big wide eyes in the audience. Mustang seemed to have sweatdrops roll down his face as he watched the girl leave the stage, giving one glance to everyone as she saw heads turn away and eyes looking in different directions. Rolling her eyes, Is simply stood beside the other alchemists beside her. After a while, Mustang came to the mic and started yelling. He also seemed to be supressing fits of obnoxious laughter.

"WELL DONE EVERYONE! I AM PROUD TO SAY THAT ALL OF YOU HAVE PASSED THE FIRST TEST! NOW THEN, THE PAIRUPS ARE NEXT SO STEP RIGHT UP TO SEE WHO YOU'RE GOING TO BE FIGHTING AGAINST!" he yelled, having to stop a few minutes to let out a short chuckle or two. Everyone rolled their eyes, and Lizzie immediately went up and destroyed the mic, having everything end up in that loud and earbreaking noise. Mustang however resulted in having to be deaf for a few moments.

"Would you just SHUT UP!?" Lizzie roared angrily.

"WHAT?!" Mustang cried.

"I SAID SHUT UP!" Lizzie roared.

"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" Mustang answered. Lizzie's eye twitched.

"Forget it." she said, eyes narrowed.

"Well, guess you get the first pick Major!" Mustang responded loudly, killing Lizzie's eardrums. What goes around, comes around as they say. Lizzie mumbled as she fiddled with the box in front. Picking a number, Lizzie showed it to Mustang. It read: "1". Mustang acknowledged the ball, and Lizzie went in the back of the line as Akita came foward. Choosing, Akita ended up with "6". Next came Ren, and she became "3". After Ren was Luna, and she was "7". Then came Is, becoming "4". After Is was Rose, becoming "8". Lys was next and she became "5". Finally, Hannah was last, and she ended up being "2". As all the rest were in a small building nearby the battlefield, Lizzie and Hannah took their places a few feet away from eachother.

"It must be fate, me fighting against you." Hannah said, smiling as she rolled up her sleeves, showing both of her automail arms. Lizzie stared at first, and then rolled up her own sleeve. It revealed her automail right arm.

"You won't think of it as fate when I kick your butt." Lizzie said with a grin.

"Heh. You keep thinking that." Hannah said, frowning. Mustang looked from both Lizzie and Hannah. With an arm raised, he simply came down and said,

"THE FIRST ROUND! BEGIN!"

Hagane---no---RenkinJutsushi!

Both Lizzie and Hannah had a stareoff before beginning to move, both at the same pace as they were making a circle. Mustang seemed to roll his eyes, already yawning out of boredom.

"What's the matter Elric? Why don't you make the first move?" Hannah asked.

"Oh, I insist Pipsqueak. The first move is all yours." Lizzie countered, making Hannah have a vein pop as she came charging in a fit of rage toward Lizzie.

"TAKE! THAT! BACK!" Hannah roared, sending fists of metal flying. Lizzie, dodging each one, was laughing. She finally caught a fist being thrown, and was able to throw Hannah off her course and send her back on her butt.

"This is gonna be interesting." Lizzie said with a grin as she ran foward, clapping her hands and transmuting her automail into part sword. Swinging, Hannah did a backflip and then came foward by sliding down on the ground, making Lizzie trip and fall.

"Two can play it like that." Hannah said, created a transmutation circle within seconds, and transmuted her own automail into swords.

"Can't you think up of something that's original?" Lizzie asked, hand on her hip.

"Oh can it!" Hannah roared as she came charging in, bending low as her sword arms picked up gravel, dirt, and small pebbles. Strangely though, there was static that made sudden surges of electricity show on the swords as Hannah struck up. Gritting her teeth, Lizzie dodged the attacks and backflipped away, all to roll off to the side as a pointed tip came close to poking an eye out.

"Hey! Are you tryin' to kill me!?" Lizzie roared angrily as she clapped her hands and sent a shockwave of ground. Hannah countered by sending a wave of her own, having the two clash and explode, creating a huge cloud of smoke. Coughing, Lizzie made sure to keep her senses alert. Not good enough, for Hannah had seen where the girl was, and she sent Lizzie flying with a high jump kick. Lizzie tumbled a bit before regaining balance as she saw Hannah burst through the smoke and charge foward.

"I'm trying to win!" Hannah said, going at breakneck speed. Lizzie, angrily and almost painfully, slapped her hands onto the ground and made herself rise so quickly she felt like she was going to hurl. This made Hannah stop completely, letting Lizzie jump down on top of the girl as their automail clashed. Clinks, sparks, and slicing noises filled the air as Lizzie had Hannah pinned underneath as their automail continued to slice eachother, creating small scratches and such.

"You're not going to win! I AM!" Lizzie said confidently.

"And who's to decide that?!" Hannah spat, suddenly sending Lizzie flying off to the side. She had been hit with a formed bullet rock that hit deep in her gut.

"Damnit... What the hell was that?!" Lizzie roared angrily, getting up slowly as Hannah took some deep breaths.

"Something to get you offa me." Hannah answered simply, a smirk on her face. Lizzie looked to see that her automail arm had been transmuted into a short minigun, sending rocks at her like crazy! Dodging each one, she wiped away some blood dripping down her mouth when the rock attack was finished.

"There's no way I'm losing to a midget like yourself." Lizzie said, and she meant it. No way a 5'7" kid would lose to a 5'1"! Except, that made Hannah even more in rage!

"YOU TAKE THAT BACK RIGHT NOW! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALLING A MIDGET WHO CAN'T EVEN REACH THE TOP OF A REFRIGERATOR WITHOUT USING A STOOL, PLUS WITH ABOUT FIVE, HUGE, FAT, DICTIONARY BOOKS ON IT?!" Hannah practically yelled, charging full force at Lizzie and headbutting her. Rolling off to the side, Lizzie gained herself again and quickly ran around Hannah while clapping her hands and creating earthlike hands that gripped Hannah's ankles, making the girl fall flat on her face.

"Where the hell do you come up with stuff like that!? You really are obsessed with my father!" Lizzie said, eyes almost amazed and at the same time a little disgusted.

"DON'T CHANGE THE SUBJECT!" Hannah roared menacingly as she got up, some dirt down her forehead. Wiping it away, Hannah destroyed the hands that held her down and sent a few earthlike spikes at the girl.

"COLONEL YOU CAN'T ACTUALLY LET HER DO THIS!!!" Lizzie cried frantically as she dodged all the spikes coming from underneath. When she turned to see the Fuhrer, she was more angry than suprised. Mustang had suddenly set his eyes on a girl who was wearing a very very short miniskirt. Drool came from his mouth, and he seemed to not pay attention to the battle! That poor miniskirt wearing girl, Lizzie was saying to herself. But wait, wasn't Mustang MARRIED? While dodging, Lizzie looked back up to see that Riza had started to pinch Mustang's cheeks rather hard, making them both turn red with nail/claw marks running down his face. She could faintly hear a:

"I love you Riza, you know I do!!" followed by a:

"That does not excuse you for looking at another woman who's wearing a miniskirt! Just because I don't wear one doesn't mean you get the right to look at every damn woman who wears one! Now do your job and watch the fight!"

Sighing with a few sweatdrops, Lizzie finally took matters into her own hands. Lizzie clapped them and created the sword she had used against the rebels. Placing her hand on the sapphire jewel, she waited for Hannah's move.

"Mustang's not gonna save you. What are you, chicken?!" Hannah asked, running foward with her sword fully charged.

"I'm no chicken!" Lizzie answered, and as she changed her sword she sent three charged arrows with such deadly accuracy. She saw Hannah's expression become suprised, and she stopped with her automail raised to protect her face and chest. There was a loud BOOM, and dust and smoke took over the whole scene. Everyone in the audience oo-ed and aww-ed, not knowing what was to happen next! A little bit afraid to check it out for herself, Lizzie stood perfectly still. Had she actually hit? And if she did... did she kill her?

A few moments passed, and still the dust and smoke did not clear. Lizzie was about to take a step foward when suddenly, out of the smoke came Hannah! She looked really pissed off now, and her right automail arm was in the swordlike creation, while the other had some chunks missing and slashes made across. In one swift movement, Hannah pinned Lizzie down and had the sword-arm pressed against Lizzie's neck. Lizzie, eyes in shock, wondered what Hannah would do next.

"YOU!! HOW DARE YOU!" Hannah angrily roared, the steel pressing against Lizzie's neck.

"It's automail! Get over it!" Lizzie said with rage.

"This automail was made by my Big Brother! Now it's ruined and it's all your fault!!" Hannah shouted, supressing tears. Lizzie gritted her teeth, silently creating a transmutation circle in the ground.

"I didn't know! I'm sorry! Why don't you go ask him to make you another automail arm?!" Lizzie shouted.

"BECAUSE HE'S DEAD!" Hannah roared. That made Lizzie stop making her circle, suprised. Hannah, her automail still pressed against Lizzie's neck started to cry. Lizzie, looking distraught and guilty, used her human hand and placed it on Hannah's shoulder. This made Hannah look at Lizzie.

"I'm sorry." Lizzie said, a sad look planted on her face. Not noticing, the smoke had finally cleared and Mustang stood above them, sending a burst of fire sparks to make Hannah suddenly be shot back. The crowd had become silent as they watched.

"Major GoldenSprout, you are disqualified!" Mustang called, making Hannah wipe away the tears and turn her back on everyone. Lizzie got up then, watching Hannah storm off without another word. Still feeling very guilty now, Lizzie looked up at Mustang.

"The winner and moving on to the semifinals is Elizabeth Elric! Congratulations!" Mustang said, making the crowd cheer a few seconds later. Lizzie, smiling weakly, walked back to where everyone else was. She looked from Lys, to Lunaros and smiled.

"Congrats." Akita said with a thumbs up.

"You both fought well." Ren said, getting up. At the same time she did, Is as well rose from her seat. Lizzie watched as Ren went out into the battlefield, while Is approached her. She handed Lizzie her cat puppet, and in a small whisper she said to her, "Look after her." Without another word, Is walked out into the battlefield as well. Look after "her"? The puppet was... a girl? Lizzie stared at the cat for a moment before turning to see Hannah by her lonesome. Feeling even more guilty, Lizzie sat by the girl. As she sat down, Hannah stared at Lizzie angrily.

"What? Come to rub it in my face or somepin?" Hannah asked with a short sniff. Lizzie, without saying anything grabbed Hannah's beaten up automail arm. "H-hey!" Hannah said angrily. Lizzie examined the damage done, and then grimly smiled.

"If you take care of this automail, the way it is now... I'm sure my mother could fix it up for you. The damage isn't that bad, and the repair should be easy for her." Lizzie said. Hannah removed her arm from Lizzie's hand quickly, and then questioned a little.

"Your mom's an automail engineer?" Hannah asked. Lizzie nodded.

"She's the best there is." Lizzie said with a grin, hands behind her head. Hannah said nothing else, but smiled to herself.

"Th-thanks..." she said quietly, and Lizzie nodded. Then, the two heard Mustang's booming voice; again.

"SECOND MATCH, ISABBELE VS. REN! BEGIN!"

E-N-D--O-F--C-H-AP-T-E-R--27

Me: how did i do everyone? i mean, the fight and all :) and yea, the songs were really sucky lol

Lizzie and Hannah: I WON! I lost...

Me: Yes well.. sorry about u losin Hannah -sheds a tear for hannah-

Hannah: go suck an egg!

Me: i take back that tear u sore loser. -eyes narrow- well, everyone the next chapter will be Is vs Ren! until next week... please leave a review if u felt this chapter worthy of one!


	28. FlamingInferno vs SnowFrostSeer!

A/N: ok all, here is chapter 28. i really hope i did well with this one, because it's a short one. I mean, I put in lots of detail, but I'm not sure if it was enough. well anyways, please Review if u feel this chapter worthy of one! arigatou for all who have stuck with this story since the very first chapter. u guys make me feel so special! -gives u all cookies in thanks-

**Disclaimer: I don't own FMA**

**Chapter 28: FlamingInferno vs SnowFrostSeer!**

The second match, finally beginning, started out with Is and Ren simply staring. No movement was made, both alchemists still as stone. Ren was in a position where she could easily spit out flames, while Is stood where she was, staring blankly into the distance. There was a small breeze that blew by, lifting Is's black coat just a little, showing her black pants and part of her purple (what looked to be) tanktop. Her bracelet jingled, the jewels flashing color before fading. Thinking this as a signal, Ren ran very quickly to the side. Is's eyes never once left Ren's position, and as Ren made her move and ran straight foward; SHHOOOM!

"What the-" Angrily, Ren quickly dodged backwards as a sudden uprooting of an icicle point came from the ground. Looking at Is, the jewels flashed color again and suddenly from beneath the girl, ice began to take form onto the area.

"You're... on my... playing field now." Is had mumbled as her coat covered her mouth. Gritting her teeth, Ren snapped her fingers and sent out a flame strip. It melted the ice instantly, turning it into water. But as quickly as the water had come, the faster it turned back into ice.

"Damnit.." Ren muttered to herself. Oh well, she would make due with the ice; for now. Charging as best she could, Ren found herself slipping as if she were on an ice rink! Sliding foward, Is gracefully leapt up and instantly she was on top of a snow pillar. Falling on the ice and sliding away for a moment, Ren angrily frowned. Snapping her fingers, a flame strip was made and turned the pillar to water. But in doing so, Is again jumped even further, and the sheet of water became a storm of icicles!

Dodging all of the sharp tips that actually sunk into the icy playing field, Ren skidded to a hault and slipped as she fell. Looking up, Is slowly took her time falling back down. As she was falling from above, her eyes never left Ren; coat blowing up showing her outfit. Finally landing, the coat wrapped itself once again around the girl's body. For the first time, Ren noticed that no matter how much Is stared at her, it was almost as if she wasn't staring at all. With some thinking, Ren got to her feet and charged once more.

"Face me like an alchemist!" Ren roared as she ran foward. Is dodged once again, but this time she came down hard and kicked Ren right on the side of her cheek, sending her flying across the ice. She slid right into where the area ended with a loud "THUD". Muttering under her breath, Ren got up and started to breathe heavily. At this rate, she'd lose because she wasn't at full strength! Growling, she concentrated and clapped her hands with her alchemic gloves. Using quick thinking, she placed her hands on the bottom of her boots, making them turn into lava boots. Taking a step foward, she found herself not slipping. Smiling, she looked at Is and charged foward with full speed.

As Ren continued her pursuit, she jumped up high and did a frontflip with her foot straight out. Is, even though she was good at dodging, this time she could not. Wide-eyed for a moment, she dodged at the last moment as Ren's boot collided with her right sleeve. Gritting her teeth, Is stopped a few feet and with her other hand held onto her arm. The coat's sleeve was burned, and now she had a small red spot growing on her arm.

"Not so tough now, are you?" Ren said with a small smirk. Is's face returned to becoming unreadable, and in an instant ice spikes were sent like wildfire straight towards Ren. Dodging all of them, Ren sent out flame strips that cut off the spikes, making her jump from one to another as she tackled Is. Both of them rolled across the icefield until Ren grabbed Is by the collar and threw her into her own ice creations.

There were many sounds of ice shattering like glass as Is was sent down. Ren breathed heavily for a moment, and watched as some small smoke cleared. Is was motionless at first, caught up in her own rubble. But then when she moved out of her small ice prison, the ice all around her suddenly attatched themselves to her. Is had created snow-ice armor. Ren gritted her teeth, having them grind so loudly.

"You have got to be joking me!" she cried.

Hagane-----No-----RenkinJutsushi!

Is showed no emotion, but this time she went on the offensive. Running straight at Ren, she bent herself a little foward and suddenly her hand with the jeweled bracelet was shown and a sudden drift of hail was sent, hitting Ren like they were her target. Ren had her arms across her face and chest, enduring the pain. When the hail stopped it turned to a light snow, but when Ren opened her eyes she recieved a fist straight to her face! Hitting the ground on her back she rolled a few feet, slowly getting up as quickly as she could. Looking up, she started to have a bloody nose. Is seemed to be staring her down, but that didn't mean that Ren was out for the count. Wiping the blood away from her nose, she stared.

"Give. Up." Is said monotonously.

"I'm not backing down." Ren said with determination, suddenly running at Is once again with her flame boots. As Is saw this motion, she sent out multiple ice spikes. Ren either ran to the left or right, or even did a handstand to avoid and move away from the spikes. It was like she was putting on a dance. As Ren was a little closer this time to Is who continuously sent out the spikes, she suddenly felt a small draft. Was this Is's doing? As Ren stared at Is while running and avoiding spikes, she saw a small windy breeze and light snow come from behind Is. Did she have the power over winter of something? It really started to creep Ren out. Suddenly caught off guard, Ren had a run-in with one of the spikes. Luckily, she dodged it, but it gave a sharp slash to her hand and transmutation circle glove. Well, at least she still had one left.

"Back down now. Before I have to make you fall." Is said, this time a little bit more sharper. It was the same tone, but more harsh. Ren cupped her hand for a moment, and then looked up. If she was going to take Is down, how could she do it? The girl didn't have to really lift one finger to fight! Her jeweled bracelet controlled her alchemy, and everything! Well, getting to the bracelet was an out-of-the-question, but what about-... Yes. That was it! Without warning, Ren quickly made sure her boots were very warm and hot as they made the ice around her turn to liquid. Then, she charged once more at Is, but this time her speed had increased twice as before! It even amazed Is herself.

As Ren came foward, Is stayed where she was, still with that blank look on her face. If she couldn't take Ren down by physical fighting, then maybe her special powers could come in handy. Yes, that was how Is would go about things from this point on. This was the only way she could see, as well as the cat puppet that was right now being held in Lizzie's arms. Ren had a fist in hand, and when she was a foot away from Is she heard a voice suddenly enter her mind. _"I foresee your defeat."_ the voice said, making Ren stop in midswing of the flying fist. The voice was so clear, and very loud. It echoed off the walls in her mind, making it almost defeaning!

Ren's fist was an inch away from Is's face when the voice suddenly entered her head. Ren could hear her breathing, she could see her breath because of how cold the area began to be. She didn't realize her arm and fist shaking, and wide eyes stared into distant ones that showed a mysterious glow now. _"I am never wrong.."_ the voice said.

Breathing hard again, Ren could only whisper, "What.. did you say?" Not realizing it at all, the ice around Ren's feet began to creep up the girl's legs to the waste, and then to the stomach up. Suddenly looking down, Ren yelled in horror and without warning she landed a blow to Is on the cheek. This sent Is flying across her icefield, landing with a small "thud". As Ren this time clapped her hands, she placed them on either side of her, but found that it was too late! She was turning into an ice sculpture. Eyes widened, she looked to her father who started to get his gloves on, ready to help. She then stared at Is as she felt the numbness already take over.

Is was at first lying on the ground, but then she sat up and felt her cheek where Ren had struck. A small blood line ran down the side of her mouth, and her bangs now covered her eyes. Mustang felt something very wrong suddenly brew, for overhead everyone saw the sun suddenly being covered by dark gray clouds. As Is stood up, a sudden gust of wind surrounded her. Followed by the wind was a snow vortex that engulfed the girl, that only her figure could be seen through the storm.

Ren was frozen in fear, literally. But no... NO! She couldn't lose now! Reaching deep down inside herself, she felt the alchemy from her fingertips suddenly activate. Although, staring at Is the way she was now, made her somewhat creeped out. Through the sudden snow tornado, she saw Is's eyes burning a deep auburn color with some purple still there. But they were dullened now and filled with anger.

_"I gave you a chance to give up. But you had to make it come down to this."_ the voice seethed in her mind. Gritting her teeth, the ice suddenly started to melt around Ren until she had broken free.

"I'm going to take you down!" Ren said, clapping her hands and placing them at her side. From below, Ren felt a sudden swirl of flame strips loop around her entire body, making a firey spinning vortex herself. This was it, fire vs. snow. Ren had a smirk on her face while Is's face was blank, but her eyes saying it all. Ren started to walk at a first pace, but then she started to run. Is did the same until both were running at eachother. By now in the stands, everyone was either covering their eyes or shielding themselves from the frost and cold that was coming their way. As Ren and Is suddenly had both of their attacks collide, the snow and fire burst into one, sending a sudden flash of tremendous light. Almost everyone, both alchemist, Fuhrer, and audience, had to shield their eyes. After that, they all stared back into the battle ring, wondering what exactly would happen next.

Fullmetal-----Alchemist

The attack collided, shooting up into the air. The gray clouds were parted with the blast. Fire and Ice twisted and turned around eachother, Ice becoming water while Fire was being put out. Both though created a sort of, alchemic spark that was sent flying in all different kinds of directions. You could see in the middle of it all, Ren and Is. Ren had her hand connected to Is's already bruised cheek, while Is's hand was connected to Ren's already bruised cheek. Niether gave up, until the sparks suddenly went above, finally having it crash down right in the middle of their fight off to the side. There was a tremendous boom, and from that boom both flame and ice were engulfed in black smoke, as well as the alchemists.

Almost all the other alchemists and people in the stands stood up with gasping looks on their faces. They all wanted to rush to the battlefield, waiting impatiently to see the final results. The smoke took time to clear, making the audience and other alchemists even more impatient! Finally, when the smoke was dying down, everyone saw two figures. One was standing, croaching low a little, while the other was on the ground. The figure on the ground was on her hands and knees, breathing heavily. The figure standing was bending her back, placing hands on her knees and panting slightly. When the smoke finally cleared, the winner was!

E-N-D--O-F--C-H-A-P-T-E-R--28

Me: ok all, that was chapter 28. again, i really didn't like how i did this one, so criticism is accepted!! i feel like i rushed, but i didn't know what else i could do. i mean yea, u have the alchemy and the physical attacks and stuff. but then again, when i read over this and pictured all of this action in my head, it lasted at least 30 minutes. so yea, i hope u all liked it. and if u did like this fighting pair, i can assure u that u'll like the upcoming ones as well ;). i just can't be sure of how many pages it shall be...

Ren: Did I win!?

Is: No. I did.

Ren: No u didn't!

Is: You. Can't prove. That.

Me: anyways...! also guys, i'm gonna be taking a good fanfictioner's advice. after the preliminary rounds are finished, one chapter will be a day off kind of thing. then it's to the semi-final rounds, and after the semi-final we have another day off chapter. and then it's ? vs Mustang! and after that, there ends the tournament saga. again, please leave a review if u felt this chapter worthy of it. arigatou everyone! um.. i won't be updating next week, but the week after. i'm having writer's block with the fights, an school doesn't make it any easier lol. so yea, until next next week.. :) -Silver


	29. Sorry All, its an Authors Note :

**A/N: **hi everyone... i have good news and bad news. The good news is, THIS STORY **IS NOT** BEING DISCONTINUED!! the bad news is, TT.TT i'm sorry i have not updated when i said i would, but school this year has been harder on me than ever. I rarely have anytime to just sit down on my computer and type a chapter, even a few sentences!! the fact of it is, this school year i have more tests, more homework, and more projects than ever! i seriously don't have much of a social life anymore due to school -.- but still.. guess that's not an excuse..

Well, anyways all I'm sorry that if this just had ur hopes up that i updated crushed ya... but if i can just have a few days off from school then i can definately get back into the game of this story! i can definately say that when my school gives us like, a week or two weeks off from everything, i'll be able to get chapter 29 up. and due to the fact that i have not updated, i will post chapter 29 and 30. THIS I SWEAR!!

again everyone, i'm really sorry i had to say this.. but i would've felt even more guilty if i didn't let my readers know why i haven't updated when i said i would!! i'm very glad i'm able to get up this author's note, so this is probably the last time u'll hear from me before i get chapters 29 and 30 up and running. i hope u all can forgive me... when i have the time i will be sure to have chapter 29 and 30 up. please don't give up on me yet!! well my loyal readers and reviewers... i bid adieu. -Silver


	30. Round Three! Psywave vs ShadowSpirit

A/N: YUSSSS! FINALLY CHAPTER 29 IS HERE :) i'm very happy that i was able to do this.. but then i'm very angry with myself becuz this isn't long either. it's longer than 28.. but by 2 pgs lol. hopefully i was able to put in good detail again. i will say now, i had no idea how to do akita and lys's battle. they will mostly be melee stuff and all but there will be alchemy involved so Akita i apologize to u (and also the readers reading this) who might not be satisfied with this. Anyways, on with the chapter! Thanx everyone for still sticking with this. ARIGATOU! -gives out many many many giant cookies-

**Disclaimer: don't own FMA at all. nooope**

**Chapter 29: Round Three! Psywave vs ShadowSpirit!**

When the smoke finally cleared, everyone bended themselves foward to see who was the winner. At first the figures were a little blurry, until you could see that Is was on her hands and knees while Ren was bending down low, trying to catch her breath. Every alchemist was with their mouth dropped, staring at the two in the arena.

"Amazing. They're... just, amazing!" Lys said in a mere whisper.

"Get up, Isabelle." the cat murmured in Lizzie's arms, making the girl look down at the cat. Whoever this cat was, it definately wasn't natural. Then again, with the battle Lizzie just saw, there was a probable reason as to why Is was "weird". The battlefield scene appeared now, and Ren looked up with beads of sweat running down her face. Is, arms shaking breathed heavily. She stared down at the ground, teeth grit, and slowly looked up. Her eyes were a maddening crimson color now, and slowly she got up on one knee. Ren, staring in disbelief was in a fighting position. Is stood where she was now, staring down at Ren. Suddenly, Ren had a sudden pain enter her mind.

_"You're so weird." "Freak!" "What the hell are you?!" "Get out of my site." "She's so scary!" "It's people like you who should just up and die."_ Different voices entered her mind, making Ren put her hands to her head and close her eyes in pain.

"Make it stop.." she muttered, then trying to look Is in the eyes. Is simply advanced, the voices becoming more stronger. "I SAID MAKE IT STOP!" Ren shouted, this time pushing Is roughly away. Is showed no emotion once again, and when she was pushed away the voices in Ren's head disappeared; just like that. Both alchemists had one more stareoff. Ren's dark blue eyes stared into Is's crimson ones. A few more moments passed until- THUD.

Ren stared down in disbelief as Is had just fainted right in front of her. What was a second faint to the crowd, it became a slow motion play to Ren. Is just had suddenly started to tip foward, her eyes turning back to their violet, mysterious gaze. When she was falling, one more voice just popped into Ren's head. _"But I... am _**never**_ wrong..."_ And with that, Is had been knocked out. A few short seconds passed until Mustang spoke.

"The winner of the second match is... Ren Mustang!" he said, making the crowd clap and cheer just a little. Lizzie, with the cat puppet in her arms ran to the arena. She met Ren with a half smile.

"Good job. You're in the semi-finals... Congrats." she said, and Ren nodded with a weak smile.

"Thanks." Ren simply said, and walked back to where the other alchemists were. As Lizzie watched Ren go, she then turned to Is. Bending down, Lizzie put both of Is's arms around her shoulder. Getting up, she started to walk foward. She hardly even realized that the puppet was walking beside her. Is was basically a little taller than Lizzie, so her feet were dragging on the ground as the girl walked.

"You too Is. You were great, too." Lizzie whispered as they made it to the alchemist "pit". Placing Is down, she then noticed the cat puppet sit on Is's lap. A little creeped out, she pretended she didn't see that. Turning the others, everyone was silent.

"Will Akita Fallow and Alyssa Elric, please come to the stage!" Mustang called. There was a short silence from the small pit area the alchemists had, until Akita spoke up.

"Well, guess it's my turn to show what a great alchemist I am." she said teasingly, and Lys stood up as well.

"Let's do our best, ok Akita?" Lys said and Akita nodded with a grin. They both walked out onto the stage, getting their positions ready.

"BEGIN!" Mustang said, and this was the start of the third match.

Fullmetal-----Alchemist

At first Akita and Lys stared at eachother, smiles on their faces. It was like they were communicating with eachother in their minds. Every once in a while would they take a step to the side, one going left while the other right. Both were in fighting positions, and when a light breeze went by, they charged at eachother with top speed. The battle began like lightning, each attack was very quick. Punches were thrown, kicks were either dodged, caught, or colliding together. So far the only thing these girls relied on was their strength and that alone. Punches, swings, everything could be heard.

"They're very strong." Lunaros observed.

"I didn't know Lys took martial arts classes." Lizzie said, watching as her sister swung a kick down. Lizzie remembered when she was at least 8 years old, taking some martial arts training with Armstrong who taught her to kick down like that in order to break a piece of brick. Lizzie sweatdropped, remembering that she could never break the brick no matter how hard she tried. There was a sudden change in battle, as both Lys and Akita backed off of eachother.

With a wide smile, both Lys and Akita started creating their transmutation circles. At the same time, they activated both of the circles, sending two strong attacks. Lys had created a sand knight, using her own Psychic alchemic power to control the knight as it came charging. Akita's attack was a sudden burst of what looked to be transmuted butterflies, but now in a gigantic cluster and made up of pure energy. As the two attacks clashed, the knight fought against the onslaught of energy butterflies. As the knight punched a few out, they burst into small firework-like mini explosions. Also, as they burst they formed more and more until the energy butterflies engulfed the knight and destroyed it. Next, they turned to Lys.

"Oh crud.." she mumbled, and ran around with the energy butterflies chasing her. Akita was laughing her butt off, until she stopped when all of her creations were destroyed one by one from Lys's punches and kicks, followed by after each one defeated she deconstructed them with her mind so they wouldn't multiply. Vein popping, Akita took this to advantage as she charged foward, fist ready. When Lys was done with the last energy butterfly, she saw Akita coming and dodged quickly by jumping about two feet away. Still, Akita kept coming with quick speed making Lys backflip away each time Akita threw a punch.

"What's the matter Elric? Am I too much for you to handle?" Akita said with a grin planted on her face. This time, she sent a kick foward that landed a blow to Lys's stomach. Grunting for a moment, Lys quickly took hold of Akita's leg and twisted, making Akita spin and go flying into the air once before she landed with a thud. Backflipping away, Lys created a transmutation circle in seconds and created the suit of armor that looked exactly like the replica of Alphonse Elric. This time though, this suit of armor was bigger, and the spikes more sharp with some more armor equipped to make it look like an advanced version.

"I'm jsut getting started!" Lys said with a grin, and put her arms out in front of her. It was like she and the statue had connected. When Lys moved her hand, the armor did the same. "Let's go!" Lys said, and moved her hand up and down as the armor mimicked her. Akita seemed ticked for a moment, but a grin was planted on her face still. She transmuted what she had created from the very beginning when the exams had just begun. Her fairy statue was created. It was the same height as the suit of armor, but this time the fairy was equipped with what looked like a lance and some armor. Her wings expanded to look like angel wings, while on her bare feet there were feathers on the back of the soles of her feet.

"Bring it!" Akita said, and she too made a connection with her statue. Both Lys, Akita, and the two statues charged straight at eachother! They fought side by side. Jabs to the left, punches to the right, kicks to the side, knee kicks and arm thrusts connected and clashed. The creations took damage just as the two girls did. They were relying on their creations, as well as their physical strength. After all, alchemy wasn't the only thing that made them strong. As the armor and fairy were taking amounts of damage, the fairy's face began to crack as the armor's arm began to as well. They were taking multiple hits.

"Time to change it around!" Lys said, dodging one of Akita's moves. Then, as if she imagined this, Lys ran foward at nothing, looked back once and then pretended to grab something and throw it up. The armor did the same. It grabbed the fairy from the waist, threw her up and made it land with a loud crash. Akita growled under her breath, and helped the fairy up.

"Oh yeah? Well how about this!" Akita said and with the lance in hand, the fairy charged and struck. The lance went straight through the armor's stomach, making cracks as dust began to fall to the ground. Lys got up and put her hands around the lance to make the fairy thrown as the armor took the lance out and used it to its advantage. Taking the lance, the armor shoved the fairy aside and then struck. Akita went on the defensive, dodging. The fairy did this so gracefully, that it was a spectacular sight to see. Using her imagination, she made the fairy fly high above the air, to come crashing down. Lys saw this, and raised the lance up. There was a loud booming noise, and a crash. The armor pierced straight through the fairy's stomach, but the fairy made her hit as well. The armor's chest and head were crushed as the arms lifelessly held onto the lance.

Akita and Lys breathed heavily in and out. They had used much energy to create and then put themselves in their creation's shoes.

"Well now... let's do what we do best." Akita said, quickly going into a boxing-like stanze. She jumped back and forth, arms in front of her face. Lys grinned with a playful smirk, and did the same as Akita did.

"One.."

"Two.."

"THREE!" Both girls ran in at full speed, side stepping opposite sides. It was like a mini slow motion. They had eye contact, glancing at eachother with their smiles widening. Dust flew and they stopped abruptly where they were. Fists ready, they both struck at the same time. BAM! A loud thudding slapping noise was created, and then there was silence.

Hagane---No---RenkinJutsushi!

All alchemists in the resting area rose from their seats (except Is), mouths dropped and eyes a little widened. They looked to see Akita and Lys's fists struggling to beat the other. Above them were their creations. The armor's eyes glowed a fierce red while the fairy's eyes glowed a brilliant silver. Akita's fist hit Lys's right cheek while Lys's hit Akita's left. The armored punch sent the fairy's head off to the side, the features of the face slowly cracking. The armor head was dented and crushed, slowly becoming dust once again.

Akita and Lys still struggled with their punches. You could hear the grinding of their fists pressed against eachother. As if they read eachother's minds, they sent their other hand flying. Both were knocked back. Bending down in a croaching position, Lys had her arms dangling in front of her as she coughed out a little bit of blood and saliva. Akita had one arm rested on her knee as the other wiped away red, trickling down the side of her face. Both looked at eachother once again.

"Let's go for a KO." Akita said. Lys seemed to agree to this, and they positioned themselves. Charging foward at eachother, both Lys and Akita had their fists fly again. In unison they used their other hand to capture the fisted one, and BAM! Their foreheads collided. Once their foreheads connected with the powerful banging noise, the armor burst into dust while the fairy became sparkles and morning dew mixing into the dust. It created a beautiful and powerful scene. Both girls let go so willingly, collapsing on their backs. Dust blew, and the dew faded. Mustang rose from his seat, looking to see if one of them might be still concious.

"It seems that we have no vict-"

"WAIT!" Lizzie shouted, still amazed and shocked. Mustang looked to the arena. There was movement still going in one of the girls. At first, there was a twitch coming from a leg, then movement from the hand. Slowly, Lys rose painfully as she panted. Finally she got up, legs shaking. The smirk never left her face as she stared at Mustang, blood already starting to drip a little from her forehead. Mustang smiled.

"The winner is, Lys!" Mustang announced, and the crowd went wild. Lys smiled, but then she started to wobble left from right. Lizzie ran onto the battlefield, coming up behind her sister and catching her as she fell. Lys panted heavily, looking up at her smiling sister.

"Did I do it?" Lys asked.

"You were great!" Lizzie said proudly, but then frowned and gave an older sister lecture. "But what were you thinking?! Doing a headbang?! You were risking it all! Not to mention now you're going to have a huge black and blue mark on your cheek and head! Honestly Lys you need to think battles like this through!" Lizzie shouted angrily. Lys only laughed. This was Lizzie's way of telling Lys that she did more than just 'great'. This battle proved to Lizzie that there was more to Lys than met her eye.

"Good God... Owwwwwwwwww...!" Akita whined, making Lizzie turn. There was Akita, hands holding her head in pain as she croached.

"You all right Aki-chan?" Lizzie teased.

"Erm... yeah I think I'll be-..." Akita started, but then she had an eye twitch as her eyes narrowed. "What. Did. You. Just. Call. Me?" she asked.

"A-ki-chan?" Lizzie answered, making Akita frown, but then relax. She smiled and laughed.

"What kinda half-baked dumbass nickname is _that_?" Akita asked. Lizzie had her cheeks puff.

"Well then maybe you're not worthy or a nickname at all!" Lizzie said stubbornly.

"How aboutt... THE GREAT AKITA-SAN!" Akita said, getting up and putting a fist in the air.

"More like The Beaten One." Lizzie said eyes narrowed. Akita frowned.

"Fiiiiine." she pretended to whine, making Lizzie smile. "Aki-chan it is."

Fullmetal-----Alchemist

As both Akita and Lys were brought to the resting area, the last two fighters drew. Now it was the SuprisingStrike versus the Midnight alchemist. Card versus Arrow. Which one was more powerful? All the alcemists knew that these two had great skills, with their weapons and alchemy. This battle was one to see, no doubt. Mustang rose from his spot.

"Now before we begin. I would like to say this." Mustang said. "After this fight, you will all stay overnight to rest and recooperate for the semi-finals! Your roomates are the following! Lizzie and Hannah-"

"Oh great!" Hannah pouted.

"Joyous. I get stuck with the beansprout." Lizzie said monotonously, rolling her eyes.

"It's Goldsprout!" Hannah roared.

"Ren and Is!" Mustang continued.

"Uh..." Ren said, turning. Is had her eyes closed, seemingly sleeping.

"Interesting.." Ren could hear her murmur.

"Lys and Akita!"

"AWRIGHT!" the two said joyously with a high five.

"And finally, Rose and Lunaros." Mustang said. The two in the arena nodded, signaling they were ready. Ready to snap, Mustang looked into the battlefield. "Whenever you're ready, BEGIN!" he said, snapping his fingers. One long strip of flame was sent, signaling the start of the final 1st Round match.

E-N-D--O-F--C-H-A-P-T-E-R--29

Me: so yea... it's not really great but at least i was able to finish it.. ..U

Lizzie and Hannah: -tower over me-

Me: uh... hi guys.

Lizzie: WHY'D U MAKE ME ROOMATES WITH THE SHRIMP!?

Hannah: I'M NOT A SHRIMP! AND WHY'D YOU HAVE TO STICK ME WITH THE STUPID, UGLY, GIRL!?

Lizzie: oh no u didn'! U SHRIMP WHO CAN'T EVEN REACH THE TOP OF A TABLE THAT'S 6 FEET TALL!! U GNOME THAT CAN'T RUN ACROSS THE GARDEN BECUZ UR LEGS ARE TOO STUBBY AND SHORT!!

Lizzie and Hannah: GRRRRRRRR

Me: right... well everyone, PLEASE FORGIVE!!! -cries- i have not gotten chapter 30 ready... but it has been started! writer's block sure is annoying.. as well as tests, quizzes, and projects shoved up!! DX so overwhelming... when i finished chapter 29 i wanted to post it becuz it's been too long to find out who the winner was!! so yea... i'm SORRY PLEASE FORGIVE ME!! i will have chapter 30 hopefully up soon, so please bear with me! and again, i apologize!! u can even flame me for not being able to keep up with this story as i would like to!! TToTT (the better news is that i have a threeday weekend thx to thxgiving, so i should be able to start gettin back into the program real soon, thanks again everyone!)-Silver


End file.
